Life Changes
by SD130413
Summary: Olivia Benson is just a rookie. She's been at SVU a year and is in a steady yet secret relationship with her hot partner. Her whole world is turned upside down when news on her one year anniversary shakes her up. Does she accept it or does she fight it and what does she do when she realises she's getting everything she ever prayed for? EO!
1. Chapter 1

**Olivia Benson is just a rookie. She's been at SVU a year and is in a steady yet secret relationship with her hot partner. Her whole world is turned upside down when news on her one year anniversary shakes her up. Does she accept it or does she fight it and what does she do when she realises she's getting everything she ever prayed for?**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own. **** I just use and and sometimes abuse the characters and story lines belonging to Dick Wolf**

**A/N: Kathy and Maureen exist, Kathy and Elliot never married. Maureen is seven years old.**

Donald Cragen was a strong man. Having suffered with alcoholism after he lost his wife and managing to overcome the disease with the help of AA he'd managed to become the Captain of the toughest crime unit in New York. He was also a proud man. Proud of the four lead Detectives who currently worked for him. As standard, Special Victims Unit Detectives didn't last more than two years however he had two Detectives who had already beaten that record and two who were definitely heading in that direction.

One Detective in particular had caught his attention one year ago when they'd graduated from the police academy. Don Cragen remembered the phone call like it was yesterday.

"_Cragen." He snapped into the phone, it had been a particularly long day and he wasn't in the mood for a new case. _

_**Captain Donald Cragen Manhattan SVU?**__ An unfamiliar voice asked him in such an authorative manner Don found himself adjusting upright in his seat though the person on the other side of the phone couldn't see him._

"_Yes, I'm Don Cragen." Don replied his voice automatically becoming official. _

_**I am Captain Gavin Rolland, the current senior administrator at New York Police Academy.**_

_Don Cragen frowned, he hadn't heard from anyone at the police academy in a long time and he wondered what this unique situation was that required his attention. _

_**As I'm sure you know tomorrow will be the graduation ceremony for new Detectives who have all applied for different units we have one Detective in particular who is insisting that they be allowed to volunteer for Manhattan SVU even though normally you take on more senior Detectives we were wondering if you'd be able to give this young newbie a chance. **_

_Rolling his eyes Don Cragen thought of his current team. He already had three Detectives, one had quit on him earlier that morning so he was going to be looking for a new one. _

"_Does this applicant have a reference?" Don asked, he wasn't going to be saddled with a newbie who didn't know their stuff. _

_**Yes of course. I wouldn't be calling you if I didn't think this Officer had a chance of making it as a Detective in your squad. The only thing I can really tell you is that I am definitely giving a glowing reference to this young officer.**_

"_Do I even get to know his name?" Don asked impatiently, he still wasn't sure but SVU was a volunteer squad, beggars couldn't be choosers._

_**Her, Captain Cragen and her name is Olivia Benson.**_

_Don Cragen had almost dropped the phone at hearing the name. She had become a cop? She wanted to work in Manhattan SVU? This was too much information to handle all at once but he knew that the man on the other side of the phone needed an answer. _

"_I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow." Don said before hanging up the phone, he needed to get his blues ready because tomorrow he would be presenting a Detective Shield and one six pins to a rookie and he hoped she was going to be worth it. _

He gazed at Olivia Benson through the blinds of his office. She was hard at work with her partner who had never kept a partner this long before and he knew he was glad to have given her a chance.

The day Olivia Benson received her gold shield was the day Don Cragen had asked her why she wanted to work SVU as a rookie. She'd opened up quite easily to the years of abuse by her alcoholic mother and her later finding out that her father was a rapist and Don knew that how she had grown up was everything that had influenced this young woman to want to join the highest stressed unit known to cops everywhere. To top it all of it was all, almost, a lie.

As he watched her grow and advance over the year he knew that she was tougher than anyone gave her credit for when she first joined SVU. She was tough, she was emotional, she was sensitive, companionate and full of empathy, the one thing the other female who once worked SVU didn't have. He had known that day when he talked to her that he'd made the right decision in allowing her to come straight into SVU however the secret he harboured about her identity killed him and everyday it became harder and harder not to tell her.

Today was her one year anniversary. She'd been at SVU exactly a year and he could see that she was still as vibrant about her work as she had been that day she introduced her to Elliot Stabler the young hot head who couldn't keep a partner more than five minutes.

He'd taken to Olivia like a duck to water and Cragen had known straight away that he would be watching him like a hawk to make sure no advances were made towards the younger rookie, so far had been so good, if something was going on between the two he hadn't been able to tell at all.

A knock on his office door brought his attention back to the real world. He could see her by the door and he knew she was coming because he had asked her to step into his office before she clocked off because there was something that he needed to tell her.

"Come in." He called and the young Olivia Benson walked with a gentle smile on her face. "Take a seat." He said nodding to the chairs in front of his desk.

Her smile vanished as soon as the words left his mouth. The only time he ever asked his detectives to take a seat was when they were in trouble or something serious was going on. Olivia was instantly wondering if she had done something. Nine times out of ten she was called into the office to get Elliot out of trouble because as well as she had gotten to know him over the past year she hadn't quite figured out how to calm his temper before he kicked off, afterwards though she was a damn genius and could always make him calm before Cragen bit into him.

"Olivia." Cragen said taking his own seat.

The softness in his voice and the gentleness on his features made Olivia wonder if something bigger was wrong. She thought of her Mother, wondered if she was dead yet, probably drank herself into oblivion or jumped off Brooklyn bridge and that's why he had called her in however the look in his eye wasn't something that resembled sympathy so she decided it probably wasn't the untimely death of her mother, she also knew if that were the case he wouldn't have made her wait till the end of the day and have her tell her co-workers that she'd meet them at O'Malley's where they were celebrating her one year anniversary as Elliot Stabler's partner, his longest since he'd left homicide for SVU.

"What's going on Cap?" She asked her voice visibly nervous to herself and her superior.

"There's something that I need to tell you Olivia that I should have told you a year ago." Cragen said looking directly into her deep brown eyes, always so warm and caring that at the moment it sent shivers down his spine.

"A year ago? Cap that was the day I…"

"I know." He said his hand up stopping her in her tracks. "I know that it was the day you graduated the academy, the day I brought you here and introduced you to your partner, however Olivia this is something that I found difficult to tell you and something I'm sure you're going to find difficult to accept so I've been spending the past year trying to figure out exactly how to tell you."

He was rambling. He knew he was rambling but that didn't stop him and the only prominent thought in his head was that he badly needed a drink. Fuck twenty five years of sobriety, he needed a drink more than anything in the world, it would give him that edge he needed, that Dutch courage.

"Olivia." Cragen said looking at her once again. "Did I ever tell you why I stopped drinking?" Cragen asked.

"No." Olivia replied shaking her head, he'd told her why he started, he told her that exactly a year ago when she had told him about her parentage, she remembered the exact words he had told her too.

_We all have something in our pasts who have made us who we are in the present, the good, the bad and the ugly._

She'd carried those words with her every day since she'd become and SVU Detective, he didn't know that of course but she had. They had been very valuable words.

"I stop drinking twenty five years ago." Don Cragen said and Olivia nodded slowly to show she was listening. "Proudest thing I ever did."

"I'm sure." Olivia said knowing he'd understand she was thinking of her drunk of a Mom.

"When I lost my wife Olivia I buried myself in a bottle, it killed me but under the influence of alcohol I fell in love again, or at least I thought I did. I was a drunk and this woman… this beautiful kind hearted young woman let me into her life and tried in vain to save me. I was more sober during that time than I had been since the death of my wife but nowhere near as sober as I am now, I drank a lot less because of her." Cragen had tears in his eyes and Olivia wanted nothing more than to reach over and take his hand but she knew it was inappropriate given that he was her commanding officer and not her friend, though, she did sense there was a reason he was telling her this story.

"What happened to her?" Olivia asked.

"We'll get to that in a minute." Don chuckled at how eager Olivia was to hear the story, he could see all the emotions flickering through her face even if they were only there for a minute second. "One night she comes home to me and she says. 'Donald, I'm pregnant'. It was the happiest moment of my entire life, I was being given a second chance at having a family. So that night, I held her in my arms in our bed and I told her that I needed to get sober and I was going to book myself into rehab and then once I was strong enough I'd be back and continue through AA meetings. She thought it was a splendid idea at first and then the next day she helped me pack and drove me to the rehab centre and kissed me goodbye." Don wiped a tear from his cheek and Olivia's heart ached for him, she could see that telling her this was hurting but she knew that there was a reason for him telling her.

"So you got sober." Olivia said softly.

"I did. I went back home six months later and knocked on the door a new man. There she was, a seven month baby bump and that's when she told me… that's when she told me the baby wasn't mine." Don sniffed. "I asked her what did she mean it wasn't mine, was she unfaithful? No. She'd been raped and the baby was a product of that rape. She admitted she was terrified and I told her it didn't matter, that I loved her and her child and I'd always be there for them but then she told me she didn't want to be with me anymore, that she was sorry but she told me to move on with my life and forget about her.

I tried in vain to fight for her. Weeks and weeks passed and she still wouldn't budge and on the day that the baby was born she told me that if she ever saw me near her or her daughter again that she would file for a restraining order and make a complaint of harassment and being a cop I didn't need that in my jacket.

So I left her be. I didn't go anywhere near her or her daughter until … until her daughter came to me." Don sighed heavily and wiped another tear from his cheek.

"Cap?" Olivia asked.

Don shook his head and went into his drawer. He knew he had to tell her himself in words but he couldn't so he handed the envelope he'd pulled out over to Olivia who was surprised to see her name scrawled on the front.

"Open it." He told her as he pulled out the vodka bottle from his desk and poured Olivia a glass knowing she would need it, and if she didn't, then he would.

Olivia's hands shook while she opened the letter. She wasn't sure why but she was nervous and afraid of seeing what it said inside.

The first thing she saw was the ME's office emblem at the top. That alone was enough to make her mind go mad but she said nothing and kept her features completely stone cold while she read on.

_Based on the DNA Analysis, the alleged father CAPTAIN DON CRAGEN shares genetic markers with the child OLIVIA BENSON. The probability when combined with the Mother's DNA and Genetic Markers are shown below. _

_Probability Percentage: 99.4679_

Olivia didn't bother to look at all the scientific mumbo jumbo below. She'd read all she needed to and her shaking hands and stone face still gave that away to a terrified Don Cragen.

"No." Olivia said shaking her head and closing her eyes. "No, no, no, no this is not possible." She placed the letter on the table. "Please tell me I read that wrong."

Don Cragen managed not to be insulted, he knew Olivia was in complete shock at what she had just read.

"No you didn't." Don said handing the shot of vodka to Olivia and watched her knock it straight back.

"It's not possible, my Father… he raped my Mom…" Olivia's voice quivered.

"No Olivia." Don said. "A monster raped your Mom. But your father… I'm your Father." He said it confidently.

Olivia shook her head. She wasn't hearing this, not now, not after everything she'd been through to get to the place she was now. Her whole world had just been turned upside down.

"You've known for a year?" Olivia asked and he nodded softly, he hoped she was going to accept this but he understood her reluctance. "How?"

"What?"

"How did you know to test my DNA, how did you get my DNA, how did you get my mom's DNA?" She asked the questions straight after each other.

"The second I received the phone call telling me about you… when your Captain at the academy gave me your name I knew that you were Serena's daughter." Cragen began softly and Olivia paid rapt attention wanting to know everything. "When you gave your DNA to be ran through the system to make sure you had no aliases I took the second swab and asked Melinda Warner to run it against a swab of my DNA and we already had your Mom's on file from a drunken driving charge a few years before. Melinda ran the test and delivered me those results. Other than me and now you she is the only person who knows."

Olivia stood up and shook her head. She didn't want to hear anymore.

"I'm sorry." She said before rushing out the office.

"Me too." Don said to the empty room, the only thing that he could hope was that Olivia would accept it, he wanted to be a part of his daughter's life, he'd already missed twenty four years and had no plans on missing anymore, the only hope he had was that as she'd grabbed the result when she rushed out that she would read it over and over again and eventually it would sink in.

There was one thing he had to do though but it would have to wait until Olivia gave him the go ahead, because she may want the pleasure of seeing Serena about this herself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Olivia Benson is just a rookie. She's been at SVU a year and is in a steady yet secret relationship with her hot partner. Her whole world is turned upside down when news on her one year anniversary shakes her up. Does she accept it or does she fight it and what does she do when she realises she's getting everything she ever prayed for?**

**AU EO**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own. **

**A/N: Chapter 2! Enjoy!**

Elliot, Munch and Fin were sat in O'Malley's patiently waiting for Olivia. They'd had a beer each but they were planning on still being sober when the anniversary girl arrived however as the minutes had turned into two hours they all began to worry.

"I'm gonna try and call her." Elliot said heading out into the dark street hoping that his partner had just got caught up with something at the station.

He rang and rang and it continued to go through to voicemail and his gut told him something was seriously wrong with his partner and secret girlfriend. After the fifth time trying to call it went straight through to voicemail which meant that someone had turned the phone off.

He tried her desk phone knowing her extention as well as his own.

_Cragen Special Victims._

"Uh Don it's Elliot Stabler, I'm tryna get a hold of Liv, is she there?" Elliot wasn't hopeful as their Captain had answered her phone.

_No she's not._

"Then you don't know where she is?" He continued.

_I'm afraid not sorry Elliot however I think she might have gone home, or to her Mother's._

"Ok, I'll try her apartment, thanks Don." Elliot hung up before his superior could say anymore and called Olivia's apartment hoping that she was there and that she would answer knowing that the chances of her being at her mother's house were slim.

_Hi this is Olivia Benson, I'm not at home right now so either leave a message or call my cell._

"Olivia its Elliot, if you're there pick up please I'm really worried… please? … Ok well I'll call round then." He hung up and went back into the bar with a heavy heart to explain to their co-workers.

"Well?" Fin asked as he poured himself another glass from the pitcher on the table.

"She wasn't answering her cell then it was turned off so I called the precinct Don says she's not there and he said she may have gone home or to her mother's so I called her apartment and left a message but nothing, something doesn't feel right so I'm going to call round her place." Elliot explained as if he was explaining a case.

"Want us to come?" Fin asked getting to his feet, he couldn't shift the feeling that something was wrong now either.

"No man if something's happened the last thing she is gonna want is us hanging around to uh… I'll call you." Elliot said.

"Yeah you do that man, until then we'll wait here in case she shows up, she might have just gone to change." Fin replied though he didn't believe a word that was coming out of his own mouth.

* * *

Olivia was curled up on the couch with tears running down her face. She held tight to the piece of paper that had changed everything she had believe about herself. She wasn't sure what to think anymore. Since she'd been at SVU Don Cragen had been like a father to her, there was no denying that but to find out he was her father and that he had hidden it from her for a whole year stung her heart like a bitch.

She heard her cell phone ringing and after the fifth time she groaned and turned it off, she didn't even look to see who was calling her, it was either Cragen or Elliot and right now she didn't even want to speak with either of them.

_"No a monster raped your Mother… I'm your Father."_

She replayed those words over and over again in her head and she wasn't sure she was ever going to be able to get it out. She wanted nothing more than to wind back the clock and change everything so that Don Cragen didn't tell her anything. Her whole life had been based on the fact that she was a rapists daughter and now she was finding out that had her mother had half a brain then she wouldn't have thrown away Olivia's chance of knowing her father or thrown away a chance for herself to be happy, she didn't start drinking till Olivia was a year old when she apparently began to look like her father.

Her apartment phone began to ring and Olivia shuddered, there weren't many people who had her apartment phone number and of those who did no one would really bother calling it.

"Olivia its Elliot, if you're there pick up please I'm really worried… please? … Ok well I'll call round then."

She groaned again before making her way through to her bedroom, she didn't want Elliot to come around, she wanted to be left alone to figure out what she was going to do about the fact that Don Cragen was her father… her father… she couldn't imagine calling him dad… or maybe she could.

She jumped into the shower as all the thoughts circled her head. She knew that Don would have questions about her too, but she had one that was more important than any other. Would she have to leave SVU now? Because if that was the case, then she didn't want to be Don Cragen's daughter, she loved her job, she enjoyed helping the victims and the adrenaline rush of catching a perp and there was no way she was giving that up for a relationship with a man who had missed the first twenty four years of her life. The hot water cascaded heavily onto her sunken shoulders as the tears plummeted down her cheeks. A part of her felt riddled with guilt, a man she adored and would openly say loved had told her that she was his daughter and she'd ran out of there like a bat out of hell, there was no way he was feeling to great. But then, there was the other part of her that was furious with the man for one telling her but two for keeping it from her for a year, she didn't know which was worse. Then there was a part of her that was so confused, so frustrated that it hurt, she'd built her life around the notion that her father was an evil monster, she'd been determined to show that she didn't inherit any personality traits from him when she became a cop just to find out that the man she would have inherited something from was a beautiful kind –hearted man that she should feel honoured to take after. Getting out of the shower with blotchy red eyes she knew that she had a lot of thinking to do.

After putting on her pyjamas and robe with her bunny rabbit slippers that Elliot had bought her for a joke Olivia made her way into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of wine. She used to have a strict rule that was not to have a drink when depressed but right now she needed the thoughts circling her head to stop.

She'd barely put the glass to her lips when there was a knock on her door. Without even checking she knew who it was but out of habit she peeked through the spy hole and saw her best friend and current boyfriend standing there.

"You have a key." Olivia said after opening the door and walking back into the kitchen.

"One I will only use if I know for certain you're here and expecting me." Elliot replied as he shut the door.

He knew something had happened. Olivia was in her pyjamas and robe and slippers with wet hair and she looked like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders, the sore red swollen eyes just added to his knowing.

"Whatever." She shrugged passing him a beer from the fridge and reaching for her own glass of wine.

"Liv is uh… is everything ok?" He asked as soon as she sat on the couch.

"I don't know." She shrugged without even looking at him.

It took her seconds to decide whether or not to tell Elliot about what was going on as he wrapped her up in his arms and allowed her to fall apart all over again. He took her wine glass from her and placed his own beer on the counter before carrying her to the couch. Right now Olivia was in no state to talk and he knew that whatever it was that was hurting her that it was bad for her to cry. Her tears soaked one part of his shirt while her still wet hair soaked another but he didn't care, all he cared about was doing whatever it was he could to help the woman he was falling head over heels in love with.

As her sobs subsided to horrible dry hiccups he went up to get their drinks. When he came back she'd curled into the corner of the couch slightly facing the other corner and had pulled the comforter from the back and wrapped it around herself as a security blanket.

"Thanks." She hiccupped when he passed her wine glass over.

"Ready to tell me what happened?" He asked settling into the other corner of the couch so she could look at him while she spoke.

"I don't need to tell you." She said and she reached over to the coffee table and handed him the piece of paper that had turned her world upside down.

Elliot took the letter from Olivia's trembling hand and read it slowly. It was after reading it three times that the words he read actually sunk in.

"Cragen's your father?" Elliot asked. "He raped your Mom?"

Olivia shook her head frantically as more tears filled her glassy eyes.

"He didn't… someone did rape my Mom but… Don loved her… he loved my Mom and when she told him that she was pregnant he went to rehab to stop drinking… he came clean because he wanted to be there for me…" The tears flooded down Olivia's cheeks. "But when he came back she said that it was her rapist that got her pregnant and not him."

"Liv…"

"My whole life El!" Olivia yelled and without thinking she threw her still half filled wine glass at the wall letting it shatter in the way she felt her life had done only a couple of hours before. "My whole life has revolved around me knowing that I was a product of a violent and cruel act just to find out now… now that I'm a product of love… at least my Father's … Don's love for my Mom… El…" She threw herself into his chest and cried some more.

Elliot just held her close and as her sobbing subsided her breath finally evened out and he knew she'd cried herself to sleep. As awkward as it was he wasn't going to let her sleep on the couch all night so he managed to pick her up and carry her down the hall to her bedroom.

Once inside he put her into the bed and pulled the sheet up to her neck.

"Night my Liv." He whispered before kissing her cheek.

As he went to walk away a hand grabbed his shirt and he turned back to look at his broken best friend.

"Stay with me?" She asked in a dry hoarse whisper.

"Of course." He said and he walked round to the other side of the bed and stripped off his trousers and shirt before climbing in beside her, it wasn't like he hadn't slept in her bed before.

He pulled her tight into his chest and felt her sigh in content as she gave in to some sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Olivia Benson is just a rookie. She's been at SVU a year and is in a steady yet secret relationship with her hot partner. Her whole world is turned upside down when news on her one year anniversary shakes her up. Does she accept it or does she fight it and what does she do when she realises she's getting everything she ever prayed for?**

**AU EO**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own. **

**A/N: This story will contain mentions of self-harm, may go into detail, not sure yet.**

When Olivia's alarm blared the next morning the two sleeping Detective's rose from sleep. Olivia switched off the alarm and then lay back into Elliot's bare chest. He held her close and she sighed in contempt.

"It wasn't a dream then?" She asked her voice hoarse from the previous night's crying.

"No it wasn't Liv." He sighed softly as he played with her long brown hair.

"We got get up El, gotta go work." She said removing herself from his arms and clambering to her feet.

"Liv…" He started and she sat back on the edge of the bed where he wrapped his arms around her waist and she placed her hands on his arms.

"I don't know what to do now El… how am I… how am I going to face him… knowing?" She asked her tears filling her eyes once again.

Elliot pulled her back to lying and held her close to him as she cried softly, it wasn't the same harsh sobbing that she had done the night before but it was still horrible to see her so upset.

"Do you want me to call Cragen tell him we're not coming in?" Elliot asked knowing if Olivia was off then he was going to be too.

"No." She said snuggling further into his chest as she could. "He'll know it's because of him."

Elliot kissed her cheek softly and she rolled onto her back and pulled his head down to meet hers. She kissed him softly and realised that he was all she had that wouldn't do something like this to her. Elliot would never intentionally hurt her because he loved her and she loved him.

"I love you." She said stroking her hands down his chest.

"I love you too Liv, and whatever you decide to do with this information… I'll be right there behind you ok?" He said tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"I know." She smiled before kissing him again. "Come on let's take a shower." She said and Elliot smiled, his morning showers with Olivia was always fun and he could tell with the gleam in her eye that this morning's was going to be too.

* * *

Don Cragen was worried. His Detectives were already thirty minutes late and they were always on time. He knew that if anyone had been to see Olivia it would have been Elliot, they were close, too close in Don's mind but still, Olivia needed someone there for her right now and she was definitely not going to let it be him.

They strolled into the bullpen forty five minutes later.

"Someone's late." Munch said snidely.

"Hey shut up old man." Fin said throwing a paper ball he was about to throw in the bin at Munch's head.

"Hey!"

"Baby girl is everything ok?" Fin asked seeing Olivia looking more stressed than normal, as if she'd been working a thirty six hour case with no sleep.

"Fine." She shrugged just as she heard the door of the office going.

"Benson! Stabler! Where have the two of you been?" He asked angrily, he didn't want to be mad because he knew why they were late but he still had to be tough on them.

"Mind your own." Olivia muttered under her breath hoping no one would hear her but somehow he did.

"Mind my own?" Don snapped. "My office, right now!" He told her.

Elliot moved but Don shook his head.

"I'll deal with you later." Don snapped before following Olivia back to the small room at the end.

He walked into the office to find her standing against the farthest wall, it was obvious she was trying to put as much distance as she possibly could between them, he'd seen it in all kinds of different victims.

"Olivia…"

"Just yell at me now and get it over with." She sighed, he never used their first names when he was mad with them.

"Fine!" He snapped, he didn't know why but right now he was furious with her. "You're an hour and a half late! Without an explanation and you waltz in here like you own the place!"

"I wouldn't have been late if someone hadn't dropped a bomb on me yesterday!" She yelled knowing that everyone in the bullpen could hear but she didn't care about them, it was her turn to get things off her chest. "You expected me to do what exactly? Read that letter and then welcome you into my life with open arms? I don't know you Don! And right now…" Her voice faded to nothing and she shook her head and blinked ferociously at the tears that had built in her eyes.

"Liv?" He asked cautiously stepping forward.

She shook her head more violently before running out the office. Everyone in the bullpen saw the door swing open and a tearful Olivia run out. She wasn't known for being the emotional one, she wasn't able to be as she was the only female in a man's world where she worked and she couldn't let them think she couldn't have her back so it was obvious to all of them that something had happened.

Don Cragen came out of his office with a solemn look on his face and the three lead detectives turned to look at him half apologetically half wondering what he had done to Olivia to upset her like that.

"Stabler go find your partner. Munch, Fin you have a DV Call IAB will meet you on scene." He said handing a pink slip of paper over.

Elliot waited until the two other detectives rushed out before he turned to his superior.

"Give her time." He told the older man.

"I've had a year." Don replied nodding. "I … will you tell her I'm sorry, I wanted to be there for her, I wanted to be there for her twenty four years ago but her mother denied her to me… I want to be there for her now, I already love her Elliot… and I know it's going to take time…" He sighed softly.

"She has a hundred million different questions going around in her head right now, some she needs the answers too and some she's scared of the answers too, you need to let her know you'll answer them for her when she's ready to ask them if you want to have any hope of having a relationship with her." Elliot explained. "Otherwise, she won't be in this precinct much longer."

"When did you become a shrink?" Don half laughed.

"I guess Huang rubbed off on me." Elliot shrugged before leaving to find Olivia and leaving Don with a lot more to think through.

* * *

"Hey are you busy?" Olivia asked peeking into the office.

"No… is everything alright Olivia?"

"No." Olivia replied shaking her head.

Elizabeth Olivet looked at her friend and went over to meet her. She pulled Olivia into an embrace and kicked the door shut hoping that whatever was wrong with her friend she would be able to help.

"Come sit down." Elizabeth said softly leading her over to the couch.

"I'm sorry." Olivia said blinking back the left over tears and taking a tissue to wipe her tear stained cheeks.

"Hey I'm your friend, if you can't come and cry and offload to me who can you?" Elizabeth teased making Olivia smiled a little. "So you ready to tell me what's up?"

"Don Cragen is my biological father." Olivia said in such an empty manner that it shocked Olivet as much as the news itself did.

"He raped…?"

"No." Olivia interrupted. "They were together before and after my Mom was raped, she told him that she was pregnant and he went to rehab to get clean… he came back and she told him that I wasn't his, that she was raped and I was a product of that rape… when… when I graduated from the academy into the one six… he had my DNA tested against his and he… he gave me the letter yesterday." Olivia explained desperate not to cry about it again.

"How does this all make you feel Olivia?" Elizabeth asked being the shrink and not the friend.

"Feel?" Olivia asked. "I don't know I feel so many different emotions about it right now that's why… that's why I can't stop crying." Olivia said as more tears spilled down her cheeks.

"Walk me through what you're feeling and why." Elizabeth suggested softly as Olivia wiped away more tears.

"Ok." She said. "I feel… happy that… that I'm not really a product of rape but then I feel angry because there was a chance I could have had a more normal childhood and at least one loving parent then… then I feel like my whole world has been turned on its head and I don't know who I am anymore, I woke up yesterday as Olivia Benson product of rape and SVU Cop who worked damn hard to get to where she is to wake up this morning I was Olivia Cragen product of mother's lies and SVU cop who got to where she is because who her father is and I don't know that person!" She snapped angrily.

"Olivia…" Elizabeth sighed softly. "You're not who you are because of where you come from, not in the way you think." She started and Olivia's eyes snapped up to meet hers. "You grew up believing that you were a product of rape, you were emotionally and physically abused by your alcoholic mother every day. That doesn't change because you find out that your father isn't who your mother said he was. Your decision to become a cop was based on all those factors, the abuse, the belief, and you didn't graduate the top of your class in the academy because of Don Cragen, you graduated at the top because you fought hard to be the best. None of that changes, and yes, maybe Don Cragen did give you the SVU Detective's job because of who you were but he would have given it to you regardless because of how amazing you did in the academy, you have worked long and hard to get to where you are and you do deserve to be there, you need to believe that if you're going to face this whole thing with Don."

Olivia sighed softly and nodded her agreement, she was right, her mother had emotionally and physically abused her every single day since she could remember. Her Father might be a good person who might have room in his world to love her and have a relationship with her but growing up she didn't know that, she was made to believe that her dad was a heartless monster and just because he wasn't that didn't change every emotion she went through as a child, the finding out, the self-loathing, the self-harming because of the self-loathing.

"You're right." Olivia said. "But it doesn't change the fact that I feel like … like my whole life was a lie."

"No." Olivet replied. "Of course it doesn't change that but your whole life wasn't a lie Olivia, your mother still abused you because of where she believed you came from, the question is though, does she know that Don is your father? Or does she believe that the rapist is?"

"I don't know." Olivia replied. "I guess… I should ask her shouldn't I?"

"You should." Olivet replied with a reassuring smile.

Olivia nodded and thanked her friend and shrink before rushing out the door with only one destination in mind.

* * *

Elliot walked straight into his Captain's office with his head bowed. He was furious with the older man for what he was doing to his partner but there was a more pressing situation at hand.

"I can't find her." He told his CO glumly.

"What?" Cragen asked, he'd been sure that if anyone could find her that it would be Elliot.

"I've been to her apartment, she's not there, I've been to all her favourite hang outs and she isn't there, I tried calling her but her phone's off." Elliot replied glumly. "You can't find someone who doesn't want to be found." He added harshly.

"Stabler man the phones, I think I know where she is." Cragen said grabbing his coat from the rack by the door.

"And you really think you're the person she's going to want to see?" Elliot asked angrily, he was blaming his Captain for everything at the moment.

"No." Cragen replied shaking his head. "But I think right now, if she is where I think she is, I'm going to be the only one that's able to help her."

* * *

Olivia stood looking at the woman she loved and despised simultaneously. As it was a work day, a school day, the woman was sober and that meant that Olivia could get some sense out of her for a change.

"Olivia what do you want?" Her mother asked from her desk dryly as she sipped at her coffee, she never got drunk at work and she wasn't going to start now.

"I want the truth about my father." Olivia said walking into the small office.

"Do not bring this up right now." Serena snapped her eyes to her daughter a glare so hateful there that if looks could kill Olivia would drop instantly.

"Don't bring this up?" Olivia hissed. "I have a question for you Mom and I want an honest answer for once. Did you ask me not to go into the special victims unit because of what happened to you or because who my superior officer was?"

Serena stared at her daughter, she was startled at the question but she wasn't surprised at why it was being asked. For the first six months Olivia had been working at SVU Serena had worried that Don would tell Olivia about their relationship but then as the months turned into a year she had slowly thought that Don wouldn't say anything.

"Both." Serena replied with a sigh. "What's he told you Livvie?"

Livvie? Her mother only called her that when she was in a particularly good mood so to hear her using that nickname in this situation made her wonder what her mother was going to tell her.

"Not much." Olivia replied. "Except that when you told him you were pregnant he went to rehab to get sober and then when he came out a clean man you denied his paternity and told him that your rapist was the father… I don't doubt your rape Mom and neither does he…"

"Olivia, your father is the man who raped me, don't try and pursue something that is just going to lead to more heartache." Serena told her softly, it was the first time Olivia had heard her mother speak in such a manner.

"Mom…" Olivia sighed going into her bag and pulling out the white sheet of paper with the details of her paternity. "I'm not pursuing anything that's going to cause me heartache." She replied handing her mother the paper over.

"What's this?" Serena snapped without even reading it.

"Don gave me that yesterday, after he told me about the woman who broke his heart." Olivia replied. "Just read it Mother."

Serena pursed her lips but opened the paper up anyway. Her eyes narrowed as she read and Olivia's heart hammered in her chest, she was fearful about her mother would react.

"Don is…"

"Yes Serena."

Both women snapped their heads in the direction of the voice. Don Cragen walked towards them with a look of shame in his eyes for eavesdropping but it was obvious he wasn't ashamed of what he had done.

"How long have you known?" Serena asked her voice soft again.

"A year, I struggled to come to terms with it myself." Don said taking the seat beside Olivia.

"This whole time?" Serena asked with tears filling her eyes. "This whole time I thought she came from a monster…"

"Gee Mom…" Olivia mumbled under her breath and rolled her eyes making Don supress a chuckle.

"This whole time Serena, she was … she was mine." Don said his own eyes filling with tears.

"I'm sorry." Serena said getting to her feet. "You missed everything…"

"Not everything, I was there to give her gold shield to her." Don smiled, that would always be his proudest moment.

"I denied you twenty four years…"

"Not by choice Serena, it doesn't change what happened to you…"

"I know that!" She snapped.

She walked around the desk and pulled Olivia by the hand up to standing.

"Mom…"

Serena flung her arms around her daughter and a very surprised Olivia wrapped her own back around her mother. They'd never been this intimate, they'd always held each other at arm's length except for when Serena was in a merry drunk mood, otherwise she'd be sobbing or angry it varied.

"I'm sorry Livvie… you could have had a Daddy… I'm so sorry." Serena sobbed.

"Mom it's ok, please don't cry Mom…shhh…" Olivia didn't care about the man sitting behind her at that moment.

"I can't…" Serena let go of Olivia grabbed her purse and hurried out the office slamming the door behind her.

Olivia stood there completely stunned for a few moments before Don Cragen stood up.

"Olivia?" He asked gently.

"What?" Olivia asked reaching over the desk and grabbing the letter.

"I'm sorry." He said.

"Not your fault." Olivia shrugged unsure what else to say to him. "Unless you're apologising for telling me because that is your fault." She snapped.

"I am sorry I hurt you by telling you… but I'm not sorry I told you, you deserved to know the truth…"

"The truth!" She yelled angrily. "I didn't want my whole world turned upside down Don!" She snapped angrily.

"Olivia!" He yelled back. "Please? Give me a chance to make up for the twenty four years I was denied?"

"It was twenty three." Olivia snapped. "You've been there for the past year." She said with a softer tone in her voice, and on that she walked out and headed back to work needing something to take her mind off everything that had happened in the past twenty four hours, even if it was only for a little while.


	4. Chapter 4

**Olivia Benson is just a rookie. She's been at SVU a year and is in a steady yet secret relationship with her hot partner. Her whole world is turned upside down when news on her one year anniversary shakes her up. Does she accept it or does she fight it and what does she do when she realises she's getting everything she ever prayed for?**

**AU EO**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own. **

**A/N: This story will contain mentions of self-harm, may go into detail, not sure yet.**

Back at the precinct Elliot held off on asking her anything. Don Cragen had arrived fifteen minutes after her and whizzed into his office without so much as a glance in their direction. Olivia had sighed, refilled her coffee and gone back to typing up her paperwork without so much as a word to him.

He knew she was upset and that she had a lot to deal with but he wanted to somehow let her know that he was there for her, as a married couple in good times and in bad, even if they weren't married.

All through the afternoon she'd type, refill her coffee, look at Cragen's office door and sigh before turning back to her paperwork. It drove Elliot mad but he still said nothing because he didn't want to upset her any more.

As their work day came to an end he pulled on his coat as she was reaching into her drawer for her purse neither one of them noticed or paid attention to the uniformed officer that rushed through the bullpen and into Cragen's office without a knock.

The couple were about to head out when Cragen's voice stopped them.

"Olivia, a word?" He asked.

Olivia sighed and looked at Elliot, a look he knew was her asking him to wait to which he replied with a soft nod. She gave him a weak thin lipped smile before making her way into her superior's office hoping that it wasn't going to turn into a yelling match again. The Uni looked at her gravely and she knew at once something was up.

"Cap?" She asked confusion all over her face.

"Sit down Olivia." He said softly.

"No I'm ok thanks, what's going on?" Olivia asked seeing the grave look on his face as the Uni had on his.

"Your mother…" Don began and Olivia began to tremble subtlety.

"Is she…"

"Not yet." Cragen replied. "I've called the hospital but they don't think…" Don sighed, he didn't want to be the one giving her this news. "They don't think she'll make it till morning."

"What happened?" Olivia asked her voice just a strained whisper.

"She fell down some subway steps…"

"No…" Olivia shook her head. "My Mother never took the Subway…"

"The entrance outside the velvet room…"

"She was drunk." Olivia sighed as a solitary tear slipped down her cheek.

"I'm sorry Olivia…"

"Not your fault." Olivia whispered closing her eyes to fend off the other tears that threatened to fall.

"I'm going to go down there…" Don started his own voice strained now, he'd loved Serena once upon a time and seeing her again that afternoon had reignited everything he felt for her.

"I'm coming." Olivia said. "Thank you officer." She said turning to the uni.

"As soon as we found her curtsey shield I called your Captain. I'm sorry Detective." He said and Olivia nodded gratefully.

"Come on Olivia." Cragen said grabbing his own coat.

He held her arm as he led her out of the office. Elliot looked at their grave faces and he knew something was going on.

"Liv?" He asked using the nickname he'd given her months before when they'd gotten into a relationship.

Olivia said nothing but fell into his embrace. Cragen didn't bat an eyelid, she needed her partner, or someone to lean on but it was obviously not going to him at the moment.

"Come on Olivia, we need to go to the hospital." Cragen told her softly.

She nodded and slipped her hand into Elliot's needing him close to her now.

* * *

Once in the hospital Olivia went into Serena's room alone. She'd been told to prepare for the worst, and that the chances weren't good and even if they were the brain damage and the spinal damage would mean she would never be the same woman again and Olivia knew it would be cruel to even hope for her to wake up. The decision to pull the plug had to be Olivia's though, she was her only living relative and for some reason she didn't want to be responsible for causing her mother's death.

She left the room and wrapped her arms around a tearful Cragen. Elliot stayed in the waiting room knowing that they needed to deal with this alone for the time being but he also wanted Olivia to know that he was nearby when she needed him.

Cragen clutched Olivia's hand once she'd spoken to the Doctor and together they entered Serena's room.

"I'm so sorry Mom." Olivia said softly her tears threatening to spill but her mother had told her that crying made her weak, she didn't want her mother to think that right now. "I do love you, considering everything you were sort of there for me and you're my Mom despite everything, I will always have a room for you in my heart."

She stepped back and nodded to the doctor who took seconds to switch off the machine and he left while Serena's heart finally beat it's last few beats and she took her final few breaths.

Olivia took one deep breath as the nurse in the room confirmed time of death before walking out followed by a tearful Don Cragen.

"Olivia?" He asked softly placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm ok." Olivia said. "Really."

Don nodded knowing she wasn't being honest with him but she hoped her partner could get her to open up to him.

"Isn't it ironic that all I really want right now is a stiff drink?" She asked with a hint of smile breaking through on her lips.

"No." Don replied a soft chuckle passing his own. "Because that's exactly what I want to."

"You're not having one even if I have to babysit you myself." Olivia said sternly. "I've just lost one parent I don't want to lose another." She walked away unable to see the smile she'd brought to Don's face having acknowledged him as her parent for the first time.

* * *

Don found Olivia later on that night sat in their usual booth in O'Malley's the one sixes usual haunt. She was nursing a bottle of bud light that was only half full and something told Don that it was the only drink she'd had in the two to three hours she'd been there. He ordered a glass of soda before making his way over to her.

She briefly looked up when he slid into the booth but returned her gaze to the label she was peeling deciding then and there not to say anything to him.

"Are you ok?" He asked her softly and she nodded in reply. "Because it's ok if you're not."

She just shrugged before taking a long swig of the bottle, she'd prefer to have ordered something stronger, liquor of some sort, but the circumstances surrounding her mother's death stopped her completely from ordering anything strong.

Don sighed softly and sipped at his own drink, he had no idea what to say to her even though he wanted to say so much.

"I did love her." Olivia said breaking the deafening silence between them.

"I know." He replied softly.

"I really did, even though… after everything she did over the years… and… and it's my fault she's dead." Olivia said a tear slipping out the corner of her eye that she made no attempt to hide.

"It's not your fault Olivia." He said reaching over the table and taking her hand which she didn't stop him from doing and even gave his hand a little squeeze in thanks.

"If I hadn't told her… if I didn't go and see her… she wouldn't have drank till she got home from work… it was my fault she was in the bar." Olivia continued in a near whisper that made it difficult for Don to hear her.

"Olivia… really… it wasn't your fault. If it hadn't happened today it could have happened tomorrow, you didn't pour the vodka down her throat." Don tried to reassure her.

"I might as well have." Olivia sighed and Don couldn't help himself anymore.

He scooted around the edge of the booth until he was by her side and wrapped an arm around her, whether she accepted it or not he was her father and he was going to make sure that she knew he was there for her. When she didn't pull away he pulled her even closer and she turned to face him and dropped her head into his chest as she began to sob. His heart broke for her as she cried hard into his chest. Her whole body wracked with sobs and she gripped tight to the front of his shirt and all he could do was offer her some form of comfort and let her cry it all out.

"There there Olivia, you're ok sweetheart." He cooed softly as he held her not caring about the looks that they were getting from some officers from the one six who knew the two.

"I had so much more I wanted to ask her…" Olivia cried, her voice muffled by his chest.

"I know." He told her gently. "I'm so sorry Olivia, I'm so sorry." He whispered his own tears blurring his vision as he too began to blame himself, if only he hadn't opened his mouth.

"She's the only family I've ever known." Olivia hiccupped.

"I know." He replied the guilt hammering into him. "But I'm not going anywhere any time soon." He reassured. "Come on, let me take you home."

He helped her to her feet and kept an arm wrapped around her as he led her to his car. He helped her into the passanger seat realising that she was going into a state of shock with which came catatonia and he knew that whatever it was going through Olivia's mind she wasn't going to open up about it any time soon.

"You want me to take you to your place?" He asked her softly as he buckled up his own seatbelt.

She sighed and shook her head, the last place she wanted to go right now was home.

"How about we go to my place? I've got guest rooms." Don suggested and Olivia turned to look at him slowly, her eyes showed the sadness she was feeling at it broke his heart that he could do nothing to take away that pain.

She was reading him, to make sure he was being sincere in his offer and once she was sure he was she nodded and he gave her a small reassuring smile before starting the car taking his baby home for the first time.

* * *

Once they'd arrived at Don's brownstone he showed Olivia to the guest room and made them both a hot chocolate. When he returned upstairs he found her tear stained cheek on the pillow, her eyes closed and her breath even and he knew she'd exhausted herself crying.

He placed the hot chocolates on the bedside cabinet and gently removed her shoes and lifted her legs onto the bed. He grabbed the throw from the chair by the window and draped it over her as she was lying on top of the comforter.

"Sleep tight my girl." He whispered before kissing her cheek and leaving the room.

As he went to his own room he couldn't help but feel so sad. The daughter he'd always wanted and now had was lying in bed and she was in pain, pain he could do nothing about as much as he wanted to. He stripped out of his suit and pulled on his pyjamas before climbing into his own bed and now allowing his own tears to fall for the woman he'd once loved, the mother of his daughter.

* * *

"_This is all your fault Olivia!" The voice echoed in her head as she was trapped numerous Serenas gathered around her. _

"_I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to!" She sobbed as the Serenas began to walk agonisingly slow towards her. _

"_All your fault. All your fault. All your fault!" They chanted as they walked closer. _

"_I'm sorry! I'm sorry please! Mom? Please!" She pleaded as one by one they reached out for her. _

"Mom!" She screamed bolting upright and awake, it had just been a nightmare.

She dropped her sweat filled forehead to her hand and calmed down before the panic began to rise again as she wondered where she was. As her eyes began to dart around the room the light went on momenterailly blinding her.

"Olivia?"

"Don?" She asked squinting as she adjusted to the light.

"I heard you screaming are you ok?" He asked coming to sit on the edge of the bed beside her.

"Yeah." She sighed dropping her head onto his shoulder. "Sorry if I woke you."

"It's ok." He said softly running his hands through her hair. "Wanna talk about it?"

"No." She replied shaking her head. "It was just a nightmare. What time is it?"

"Three thirty. Why don't you try and get more sleep?" He suggested softly.

She nodded and lay back down with the throw wrapped tight around her. Don bent over and kissed her forehead and she sighed relaxing into the touch so he reached out a hand and gently stroked her cheek as she closed her eyes to go back to sleep.

"Goodnight sweetheart." He whispered thinking she'd already fallen asleep.

As he held the door in one hand and went to switch off the light he heard her reply and smiled.

"Night Dad."


	5. Chapter 5

**Olivia Benson is just a rookie. She's been at SVU a year and is in a steady yet secret relationship with her hot partner. Her whole world is turned upside down when news on her one year anniversary shakes her up. Does she accept it or does she fight it and what does she do when she realises she's getting everything she ever prayed for?**

**AU EO**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own. **

When Olivia work up she was heart-broken. She'd not been awake five minutes when she began to cry, her heart breaking at the loss of her mother. Serena may not have been a good mother, far from it but she was still Olivia's mother, she still loved the woman somewhat regardless of what she'd done.

Don heard the wracked sobs echoing from the bedroom when he woke. He wanted to rush to her and wrap his arms around her but he knew better than to push, he knew that she would come to him when the time was right and that he couldn't expect a relationship in the form he wanted to just blossom from nowhere.

When Olivia's phone rang she wiped her tears quickly on the back of her hand and took a deep breath before answering the unknown number.

"Benson." She said, her voice hoarse and week. "Thank you… ok… I'll be there… thank you very much." She hung up and closed her eyes for the moment as she let the gravity of the situation sink in.

A knock on the door brought her out of her thoughts as Don entered with a steaming mug of coffee.

"Morning." She said with a hint of a smile.

"Good morning Olivia." He said gently. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm ok." She shrugged unsure how else to put it. "The funeral home just called, my Mom's made all the arrangements but I still have to go down there for something."

"Would you like me to come with you?" Don asked gently knowing he was pushing.

"No I'll be ok, I need to go home and change first." Olivia said as she sipped at her strong coffee.

"If you want to bring some clothes here, and stay here for a few nights you're more than welcome to Olivia." Don said. "I'd love to have to stay for a little while."

"I'll see how I feel when I get home." Olivia said with a shrug.

* * *

Olivia walked into the funeral home with a feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. A man smiled at her and came over while she tried to appear as calm as she possibly could.

"Miss Benson, I am sorry for your loss." He said gently.

"Thanks uh you said all the arrangements were made?" Olivia asked wanting to get the hell out of there as quick as she could.

"Yes your Mother made all her arrangements, she didn't want to be a burden on you." He said gently. "This is your Mother's attorney."

"Miss Benson." He said softly.

"We have to do this now?" She asked thinking it was going to be the revealing of the will.

"There's just one additional piece your Mother wanted you to take care of." He said handing over a tiny envelope.

"What's this?" Olivia asked sliding a small brass key from it.

"It's a key to your Mother's lock box, all it stated that the key was to be given to you."

"Containing?"

"That I don't know." The lawyer replied gently.

"Ok, thank you." Olivia said slipping the key back into the envelope. "I guess I'll see you both at the service." She said with a nod of the head before she turned around and walked out.

* * *

Olivia travelled downtown to store where the lockbox was held. Once there she opened the box to find two envelops. One containing a large sum of cash which was just further evidence of Serena's distrust of banks and in the second envelope was a letter. Deciding whatever the contents were should not be read here Olivia emptied the contents of the lock box handed over the key and explained that the owner had died.

After leaving she drove to central park knowing she would need to be somewhere secluded and alone to read the letter. She walked for a while until she found a nice looking spot under a tree and with nerves in her stomach she sat down and opened the letter.

_My Olivia, _

_If you're reading this then sadly my life has come to an end. Whatever way it ended I hope the life I led before it was a good life. First let me tell you that I do love you Olivia, as hard as it is for me to say that sometimes I do, you are my daughter, you are a part of me, and I will always love you. I am also proud of you. You went to school, college and then the police academy and I was there, when you graduated, and I was very proud of you. I know I didn't tell you that on the day but I was and am. _

_Anyway, the reason I am leaving behind this letter is for one reason. It's about your father. I know growing up I told you about the monster who was your father but there's only a fifty percent chance that he is your father. There's also a fifty percent chance that your father is Donald Cragen, he was a Police Detective last time I saw him._

_I'm sure there's some scientific way to find out the truth and if he's willing you may have the chance to find that your father was a loving man who would have sacrificed his life for you but I couldn't get past the monster that was the man I believed to be your father. I couldn't allow Don back into my life after that monster took from him what was mine to give. _

_I hope you find the truth out somehow Olivia. _

_Love you_

_Mom x_

Olivia read the letter through twice and she expected to feel upset. She was surprised at the anger that coursed through her body instead though. It was like someone had relit a match and placed it on her heart, she was being given a second chance at having a parent and it was a man she already loved and respected. Leaving the park, she only had one destination in mind.

* * *

"Liv what are you doing here?" Elliot asked pulling Olivia into a hug not caring who was watching.

"I want to work El, I've got things I need to be doing here." Olivia explained as she basked in the comfort her boyfriend brought her.

"You should be at home." Elliot told her gently.

"Is Cragen here?" Olivia asked.

"In the office. Why?" Elliot asked.

"My Mom knew Elliot. She knew there was a chance I was Don's kid." Olivia explained the letter in her hand shaking. "She denied both of us the chance at a relationship years ago even though she knew."

"Liv, your Mom had her reasons." Elliot said gently.

"Don't defend her Elliot." Olivia snapped. "Whatever you do, do not defend that woman to me right now." He didn't get the chance to reply as she marched straight to Cragen's office.

She slipped inside without knocking but he didn't mind, it wasn't like she was on duty.

"Olivia?" He asked softly.

"She knew." Olivia said putting the letter down in front of him. "All these years she knew."

Cragen quickly read the letter and felt himself hurt.

"She knew." Olivia said again as she shook her head.

"I don't want to defend her Olivia, but she had her reasons." Don said gently.

"Why didn't she tell me?" Olivia asked angrily. "All these years there was that spark of hope that I wasn't a monster's daughter, she could have given me that hope without even giving me your name. Was she even raped? Or was that just some sick twisted ploy to get you out of her life?"

"I don't know." Don shrugged handing the letter back. "I can't answer that Olivia."

"And the only person who can is dead." Olivia sighed. "She dies and leaves me with more questions than I had when she was alive." She snapped. "It's not fair."

"I know it isn't, but sometimes it how life works Olivia." Don said gently as he walked around the desk to where she was standing. "I don't think she meant to deny you a chance at knowing your father, I guess not knowing for certain gave her some hope. Telling you or me that there was a chance… we'd have been in that lab trying to find out."

Olivia blinked back the tears and hugged her father. He held around her tight knowing she was hurting, suffering from her mother's death even if she wouldn't admit it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Olivia Benson is just a rookie. She's been at SVU a year and is in a steady yet secret relationship with her hot partner. Her whole world is turned upside down when news on her one year anniversary shakes her up. Does she accept it or does she fight it and what does she do when she realises she's getting everything she ever prayed for?**

**AU EO**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own. **

Olivia sat in her desk absentmindedly playing with the only thing Serena Benson ever bought her that had some meaning to it. It was a golden love heart shaped locket with Mom engraved on one side and Daughter engraved on the other and inside was a picture of the two of them. Serena had bought it when Olivia graduated high school, before she dropped the bombshell about running to Sienna College.

She didn't know she was being watched by two different men. One was sat right in front of her, desperate to wrap his arms around her and tell her everything was going to be ok and the other stood in his office looking through the blinds with a broken heart.

"Damn you Serena." He cursed as he watched his daughter looking so lost.

That's when he made the decision that she couldn't sit there anymore. He grabbed the keys for his range rover and his wallet from the desk before grabbing his coat and dropping his hat on his head. Everyone but Olivia looked in his direction when he exited his office and they all watched him walk up to Olivia who was staring into space.

"Come on." He said offering her his hand.

She turned to look at him and then look down at his hand, her face voice of emotion.

"Please?" He asked his hand still in front of her for her to take.

He couldn't help but smile when she slipped her small hand into his slightly larger one and grabbed her coat with the other hand.

"Where are we going?" Olivia asked as he led her out.

"It's a surprise." He smiled gently and she nodded not really caring much about anything right now.

"What the hell was that?" Fin asked looking at Elliot who was still looking in the direction his girlfriend and superior had left in.

"What was what?" Elliot asked snapping himself back into reality.

"That… Cragen and Benson." He said nodding his head in the direction the two had just left in.

"Yeah they seemed to have had a rough couple of days, she's been in and out of the office like a yo-yo she yelled at him and didn't get reprimanded, what the hell is going on?" Munch added and Elliot sighed knowing it wasn't his place to say anything.

"She just lost her mother." Elliot said which the two knew, Cragen had explained that much to them.

"But is she ok?" Fin asked thinking about the woman who in the last six months had become like a little sister to him.

"She will be." Elliot sighed, at least he hoped she would be.

* * *

"What are we doing here?" Olivia asked as she stepped into Cragen's brownstone.

He chuckled lightly, she had his impatience alright.

"I want to show you something." He said taking her hand and leading her to the basement where his extravagant pool was, it bought a smile to Olivia's face remembering him mentioning it one time about how IAB had investigated him, a New York City Cop couldn't afford a brownstone with a pool on a Detective's salary.

He took her around the pool still holding onto her hand and he unlocked a door. They slipped inside and Don searched around for the light switch. Inside was a room full of toys, books and clothing for a little girl.

"I always hoped." He told her as she looked around. "Every birthday, every Christmas, I had some hope you were mine and that I would get the chance to give you all this."

Olivia was just a little overwhelmed as she looked at what seemed to be a child's dream room.

"Obviously you've outgrown most of this stuff but I bought something suitable for your age every year." He smiled and pointed towards and old pink bicycle. "That I bought on your sixth birthday." He smiled. "Then that." He pointed towards and old fashioned boom box. "On your fourteenth."

She just stared in awe at the everything, she was in such a state of shock that words completely failed her.

A large bookshelf stood filled with a variety of books and Olivia scanned the titles, at the top were nursery books, simple ABC's and so on and the lower down along the shelf she looked the more advanced the books became.

"Then that." He said pointing to a very large dolls house. "I started making that as soon as you were born and I knew you were a girl." He said with a soft smile on his lips. "I finished it about a week before your eight birthday."

Olivia continued to look, her eyes filled with tears as she remembered her eight birthday. She'd ended up in the ER with a small skull fracture after her mother threw her into a wall and she fell and smacked her head on the corner of a cabinet.

"I didn't mean to upset you." He said pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket.

"You didn't." She said weakly as he reached up and wiped her tears as he should have been allowed to do every time she skinned her knees when she was younger.

"If you don't want to, you don't have to, but I'd really like a chance at a real relationship with you Olivia, I'm not expecting anything to happen overnight, but please give me a chance to be a real dad?" He asked her softly.

"I'd like that." She said her eyes still looking around the room.

"This wasn't where everything was. I brought them down here just after your twenty first birthday." He informed her. "Would you like to see your room?"

She turned to him, her face void of any emotion and she gave a slight nod of the head. He led her out and locked the door before slipping the key from the chain.

"You can go in there whenever you like." He told her pressing the key into her hand. "If you want to throw it all away you can do that."

She just gave another small nod, words still failing her as he led them back into the main house and up the stairs. She found that the previous night she hadn't stayed in 'her' room. She'd stayed in one of the multiple guest rooms of the large house.

Once again Cragen slipped a key into the small lock and opened the door of the bedroom. It was large and fully decorated and furnished. It had pale pink floral patterned wall papers, a large double canopy bed filled with soft toys, a desk and chair, a wardrobe and chest of drawers, two side tables with gold and pink lamps. It was the dream bedroom of any little girl and off to the side was an en suite.

"It's beautiful." Olivia said looking around the room.

Don smiled and reached over to the bed picking up a small pink bear.

"This." He said handing it over to her. "Is the bear I tried to give you when I visited you when you were born and your Mom threatened me. She threw it at me actually." He laughed softly as she sat down on the edge of the bed with the bear in her hands, her fingers dancing along the fur gently. "It's a lot to ask, but … I'd like this room to be used." He said and Olivia's head snapped up to meet his. "You don't have to, I mean, I won't mind if you don't but I'd like you to come and stay for a little while… if you want… here… in your room…" He said and for the first time since all this had begun a small smile passed Olivia's lips.

"I'd like that." She said and Don's smile broadened and he gave his own nod.

"You'll need to pack, just bring some clothes over, whenever you're ready too I mean you may not want to stay tonight and…"

"Don." She laughed lightly as she took his hand. "You're rambling."

"I know." He nodded with a small laugh of his own. "I'm nervous."

"You don't need to be." She said sincerely and he smiled at her. "I'll go home and pack in a bit, the wake's tomorrow, I think… I mean… I'd much rather be here with you when … to leave and go…"

"Liv." He said softly and she looked at him. "You're rambling." He said with a soft smile and she laughed and let out a heavy breath. "You pack when you're ready." He said as she got off the bed the cuddly toy still in her hand as she followed him out into the hallway, this time he didn't bother locking the door.

They walked down the stairs and they stopped by the front door. Don reached up to the key rack and pulled down a set of four keys before handing them to Olivia.

"Front door." He said pointing to a small golden key. "Back door." He said pointing to another golden key. "Garage." He said pointing to the third key. "Main basement door but that's never locked." He said pointing to the smaller brass key. "Use them whenever you want, because you'll always be welcome here Olivia." He said and she slowly leaned over and hugged him, awkwardly, but the gesture was all the same.

* * *

Back at the office Elliot saw Olivia and Don enter looking far more relaxed than when they left. Olivia had an odd pink soft toy in her hand as she took to her desk and Don gave her smile before he went into his office.

"Everything ok babe?" He asked in a hushed whisper.

"Yeah why?" She asked turning to look at him.

"You were gone a while." He shrugged.

"Yeah, seems like Don always hoped I was his." She told him and he nodded gently knowing when she was ready she would share more.

"Uh Liv, the guys, Munch and Fin, were asking questions, I think you and Don need to think about telling them soon." Elliot said and Olivia glanced over to the two men who were deep in discussion about a case file.

"I need to get used to this myself first." Olivia said looking at the bear that now sat on her desk.

"Get used to what? He's your dad, the end." Elliot shrugged.

"No El… I'm going to stay with him for a while." She said sheepishly.

"Oh." Elliot said with surprise etched into his face. "Oh how come?"

"I don't know. I really don't know why I said yes or why I want to but… he's my Dad El, I'm getting this amazing chance to be in his life and vice versa and I really want to give it a go." She explained.

"So you're going to live with him?" Elliot asked not understanding the logic.

"Just for a little while, it's a chance for us to really get to know about each other, I can find out more about his late wife, his relationship with my Mom and finally get used to the knowledge that my Dad is a caring man, with an absolute heart of gold." Olivia smiled.

"What… What about us?" He asked not wanting to sound selfish.

"What about us El?" Olivia asked confused.

"No one knows about us other than Maureen and she's seven she doesn't understand." Elliot shrugged. "I mean, how are we going to have a relationship without your daddy dearest finding out?"

"We'll figure it out El." She smiled. "I know it's going to be complicated but I've just had the shock of my life, I have a dad and lost my mother all in a couple of days, I'm really overwhelmed and not thinking straight." She had tears in his eyes and he chastised himself for upsetting her.

"Sorry Liv, that was Selfish of me." He said.

"No it wasn't." She replied shaking her head. "I understand you want to know where you stand El but I don't know where I stand right now."

"Ok babe, we'll slow down for a bit ok? I'll be waiting for you when you're ready." He said with a smile.

"Thanks." She smiled.

* * *

Later that evening Olivia and Don sat in the living room of his brownstone with cartons of take out and their chosen drink. Don had bought Olivia a bottle of wine wanting her to know he could happily have her drink it in front of him, that it didn't bother him one bit.

They'd agreed to play truths, simple questions where they answered each other honestly as a way of finding out about each other. The questions had simply been things like favourite colour, cartoon character and other innocent things.

"How old were you when you smoked your first cigarette?" Don asked innocently while Olivia laughed.

"I'm not telling you that!" She laughed.

"Why not? We all did it." He chuckled.

"So you want me to tell you how old I was when I smoked my first cigarette why exactly? So you can punish me for it years later?" She giggled.

"No I'm genuinely intrigued." He shrugged. "I want to know all the things you did that you shouldn't have but every kid does it anyway."

"Fine I was sixteen." Olivia said still laughing. "If you could relieve one childhood memory what would it be and why?"

"Uh probably… the time my Dad and I went Ice fishing up in Wisconsin." Don replied remembering the vacation. "Because it was the first time I knew he loved me. He'd taken the time off work to take me while my Mom went to visit her Mom in Florida."

Olivia smiled and hoped one day she'd feel comfortable enough to ask questions about the rest of her family, his family.

"How old were you when you smoked your first joint?"

"Dad!" She said laughing her head off and hitting him with the nearest pillow.

"What?" He questioned innocently.

"Fine I was nineteen in college." She laughed. "What made you choose SVU?"

"Your Mom." He said softly. "She was… when she told me everything that happened to her and then shut me out I realised I wanted to do more to help people like her, in her situation."

"Oh." Olivia said looking away, the conversation had gotten deep all of a sudden and she didn't like it. "I think I'm going to turn in, it's late." She said glancing at the clock, it was just gone eleven pm and they had to be at the funeral home in the morning.

"Of course." He smiled. "Good night Olivia."

"Night Don." She said and she leant over and kissed his cheek before going to clean up.

"I'll do that, you head off to bed." He said and she gave him a nod before hurrying up the stairs needing the space to think.


	7. Chapter 7

**Olivia Benson is just a rookie. She's been at SVU a year and is in a steady yet secret relationship with her hot partner. Her whole world is turned upside down when news on her one year anniversary shakes her up. Does she accept it or does she fight it and what does she do when she realises she's getting everything she ever prayed for?**

**AU EO**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own. I also do not own any rights to the story Charlotte's web which appears in this story! **

After a night of tossing and turning and sleeping very little Olivia finally climbed out of her bed at four am. She looked around the room that Don had created for her when she was just a child, a child he then didn't know had any biological tendencies towards her. She realised then he had loved her all along. Whether or not the results of the paternity test came back with him as her father he would have told her about his relationship with Serena eventually and he would have then tried to get some form of relationship with her. Not that she minded. Growing up, before she knew her apparent father had raped her Mom she wanted nothing more than to be whisked away by some hero that was her real father and now, when she needed him the most, he had done just that.

She played with the keys he had given her. She'd added the key for the small room in the basement to the chain so now five keys dangled and she saw them as keys to a life she'd never expected to have. With the boredom consuming her she grabbed the pink cuddly toy that she'd grown so fond of knowing he'd bought it for her the day she was born and made her way quietly down the stairs.

The house felt big and for some reason that Olivia couldn't possibly explained she felt like a child again, lost in a strange place that had some form of familiarity to it. As she walked down the rickety steps of the basement she looked at the pool. As obvious as it was that it hadn't been used in some time Don cleaned it weekly.

She walked around to the side door and found the small silver key that unlocked the door. The room again had an air of familiarity to it, she felt a sense of freedom and belonging that she'd never experienced before, it felt like a place she could let her guard down and be free to be herself which she never could do anywhere else.

Automatically she drifted to the book shelf. As a child she had been an avid reader using the characters as a means of escaping what was the world she lived in. Seeing on of her favourite books from her childhood she took it off the shelf and blew on the dust cover sending the tiny particles flying in all direction causing her to cough quietly.

Seeing a small pink beanbag in the corner of the room she made her way over and sat down. The small pink bear which she imagined would have been around the same size as her when she was born perched on her lap as she opened the first page of the book.

"To Olivia, Happy ninth birthday, lots of love, Daddy." She read with a smile on her face.

She felt at peace now, of some sort at least and as she turned the page to begin reading she didn't find herself consumed with hurtful images of a childhood she'd rather forget, instead she found joy in every word and love in every line.

" 'Where's Papa going with that axe?' Said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast. 'Out to the hoghouse' replied Mrs. Arable. 'Some pigs were born last night'…" Olivia read aloud to the room her voice changing to meet the characters just as they had in her head when she was young.

She remembered this story almost word for word anyway, she'd loved it and she'd read it repeatedly over the years but she'd never owned her own copy, her mother banished her from having children's books in the house, said they stopped her mind from developing proper language and literature skills meaning the only time Olivia could only enjoy the pages of stories suited for her was when she borrowed them from the school or the library and kept them hidden underneath her mattress till Serena passed out in a drunken stupor.

When Don Cragen woke up the first thing he did was go downstairs to the kitchen. He suspected Olivia was still asleep knowing she was going to have a tough day she knew it best to leave her sleep as long as she could. He made them both a hot cup of coffee before heading for the stairs but that was when he noticed the slight opening of the basement door and it brought a smile to his face.

He slowly made his way down the creaking steps and once he reached the bottom he could just about make out the sound of her naturally melodic voice carrying from the open door of the side room. He crept quietly around the pool and to the door, listening as her voice intensified in volume the closer he got to the door.

" 'Its name is Wilbur,' she whispered to herself. She was still thinking about the pig when the teacher said: 'Fern, what is the capital of Pennsylvania?' 'Wilbur' said Fern, dreamily. The pupils giggled. Fern blushed."

Just as Olivia went to turn the page Don shifted and slightly knocked the door. She jumped, startled but then laughed softly when she saw her father stood behind the door.

"I bought you coffee." He smiled coming into the room.

"Thanks." She said feeling a little bit uncomfortable being caught in the sideroom reading a children's book out loud.

"So what were you reading?" He asked as she clutched the book in her hand with the bear under her arm.

"Charlotte's Web." She smiled.

"Ah ninth birthday?" He asked and Olivia nodded with a playful smile on her face. "What?" He asked laughing nervously.

"By my ninth birthday I knew this book word for word." She said with a smile as her thumb softly stroked the cover. "I first read it just after I turned seven, I was already quite an avid reader but because of my Mom I had very advanced reading skills, so while everyone else was still struggling through the little engine that could I was bored and particularly disruptive during quiet reading time, so my teacher at the time Miss Thomas asked a TA to cover one afternoon and took me down to the school library. We spent a long time looking at the books for eight to ten year olds, she filled me in on some of her favourites from her childhood and she'd pass me a book and I'd read the back out loud and see if I'd enjoy it. There wasn't a Charlotte's Web there but then the following Friday during quiet reading time Miss Thomas called me to the front while everyone else took their books out of their bags and she borrowed me her own copy. When the bell rang at to mark the end of the day I didn't want to move, I was captivated and she had to promise me that I could read it during recess on Monday before I finally and reluctantly left. After that she had the school order a copy in and I got to take it out along with four other books every week. I had to return Charlotte's web every other week in case someone else wanted to borrow it but the librarian knew I was reading it because I'd sit in the library during recess with it just re-reading and re-reading it." Olivia had a soft smile on her face the whole time she told the story and it warmed Don's heart to see her look so carefree even if it wasn't to last much longer. "This would have made my ninth birthday." She said looking at the cover and the unblemished spine, the book only been open twice in its lifetime, once for Don to write the birthday message and now when Olivia read it.

"Well it's yours Olivia, maybe fifteen years late but it's yours, your very own copy." He smiled as hers slipped off her face.

"Yeah." She said putting the book down. "I'm going to shower, we need to be at the funeral home in a couple of hours." She said before hurrying out of the room leaving Don to lock it up and take the keys up for her.

* * *

Olivia stood beside her mother's casket looking at the framed photograph her mother had chosen. It hurt to see a photo of her looking so carefree knowing that wasn't the woman she knew inside. Don stood just behind her and as she held her pink bear in one hand, reluctant to put it down and using it as some form of safety net, she had Don's hand firm in the other, partly because it stopped anyone from being able to shake her hand.

They stood together hiding a lot of emotion while friends, co-workers and students came over with their apologies. They shared stories with Olivia about this woman who loved and valued her life and with each one came more heartache for Olivia who didn't know the woman they were talking about, she'd only ever seen a glimpse of the Serena Benson they all knew.

The most surprising thing for Olivia was hearing stories her Mother had shared to them about her. She'd used her as examples in her class, her friends and co-workers retold stories Serena had passed on to them, some Olivia barely remembered others she remembered her mother being particularly wasted and wondered how on earth her mother had remembered.

"I feel like a fraud." Olivia told her father as she stood there in her black dress trying to keep it all together when inside she felt like she was dying.

"It's not your fault." He reassured her.

"Who was she Don?" Olivia asked stepping up to the picture of her mother perched on top of the Steal box.

"Liv don't do this to yourself." He said giving her hand a soft squeeze.

"Everyone here knew this beautiful, talented, loving woman… where was she for me?" Olivia asked tears slowly spilling down her cheeks faster than she could blink them back.

"Olivia." Don sighed softly, he didn't know what to say to her.

Monique Jeffries stood with her friends and old co-workers Fin, Munch and Elliot who was holding hands with his seven year old. They were watching Don and Olivia completely confused, except for Elliot, at what they were acting like. His hand was in hers firmly. Every now and again he'd rub her shoulder, kiss her cheek, brush a strand of her hair behind her ear and it was confusing to the Detectives.

"Daddy why is Livia holding Uncle Don's hand?" Maureen asked innocently as she rubbed the toes of her red shoes together.

"Yeah Daddy, why is Livia holding Uncle Don's hand?" Fin whispered causing Elliot to roll his eyes and sigh heavily.

"They'll tell you when they're ready to." He said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"They're not together are they because that would be some weird shit." Fin mumbled.

"No man, eww, I'm going to forget you even said that." Elliot said with a roll of his eyes.

Olivia stared at the woman holding a glass of Gin and talking. Don followed her gaze expecting her to say something but when she didn't he knew he had to ask her.

"Who's that?" He asked softly.

"My Mom's drinking buddy and oldest friend, they've been friends since grad school." Olivia explained. "Excuse me." She said passing her bear to Don before walking up to the woman and Don could only stand and watch.

"Olivia." Margot sighed hugging the younger woman it was obvious to anyone watching that Olivia was uncomfortable.

"I read the letter." Olivia snapped.

"What letter?" Margot asked looking particularly confused.

"Was it a joke?" Olivia hissed. "Was it something the two of you just cooked up one day after enjoying a bottle of scotch?"

"Olivia." Margot sighed.

"Did you know about him?" Olivia asked.

"Who?"

"My father." Olivia said her voice slightly raised drawing some eyes towards them but Olivia wasn't going to let this go, she was hurting too much.

"Did you know?"

"Olivia stop this." She was pleading with her eyes. "Please, all I know is your mother loved you…"

Big mistake. Olivia's hand flew up in an open handed slap straight across her face. She then grabbed the woman's arms pulling her outside while everyone else looked on in horror.

"Now you tell me if you knew who my father was all these years?" Olivia hissed still holding on to the woman's biceps.

"There wasn't a day she didn't suffer over this, why do you think she drank?"

"You went to grad school with her, you would know, if anyone, you would."

"Donald Cragen, he was a Detective, your mother loved him but when he went to rehab she lost it and couldn't handle it and she didn't want him back in her life."

Olivia wanted to scream and shout and be angry that they had hidden it from her for so many years but instead she looked at the woman with one final glare before she rushed back into the main room and wrapped herself up in Don's arms.

"You're ok Liv." He whispered as he looked over her shoulder, his eyes connecting with Margot's and that's when she realised Olivia had found him and knew him.

While Monique held Maureen Elliot made his way over to Don and Olivia. He could hear her heart-wrenching sobs from the other side of the room and he couldn't stay away from her any longer. He stroked her back and felt her relaxing a little underneath the splay of his hand on her back, she recognised his touch without him saying a word.

"What time is it?" She asked wiping her tears and pulling away from Don.

"Ten thirty." Don said.

"We bury her at eleven." Olivia sighed looking at the casket.

"Olivia don't blame yourself for any of this." Don reassured her.

"I don't." Olivia shrugged. "I blame her, she lied to me, she lied to herself, she lied to you, she denied you your paternity, she denied me a chance to know you and have some sense of knowing you growing up… I can't forgive her for that yet." Olivia said shaking her head softly. "I don't know if I ever will."


	8. Chapter 8

**Olivia Benson is just a rookie. She's been at SVU a year and is in a steady yet secret relationship with her hot partner. Her whole world is turned upside down when news on her one year anniversary shakes her up. Does she accept it or does she fight it and what does she do when she realises she's getting everything she ever prayed for?**

**AU EO**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own. I also do not own any rights to the story Charlotte's web which appears in this story! **

Don stood at the top of the steps to the basement. He wanted to go down and make sure Olivia was ok but it had been two days and he'd barely heard a word from her. She was grieving, he understood that but what he didn't understand was how her grief was different from the grief he'd experienced in his life. She didn't want to grieve, that was her problem. She wanted to just move on like nothing had happened but the grief engulfed her and she wasn't handling it well at all.

Going back into the kitchen he picked up the phone and put it down again before picking it up again with a long sigh. He was conflicted. Olivia and Don had agreed they wouldn't tell anyone other than Elliot about their biological and now emotional relationship for a few days, until they both had grieved for Serena's loss but he needed help to help her and he couldn't do that without telling one more person about them. Knowing he had very little options other than getting her help he dialled the number hoping that somehow he would stop Olivia from closing herself off in children's books.

"Hey, it's Don, I really need your help could you come over? Thanks, I'll see you then. Bye." He hung up and prayed he was making the right decision. "You really screwed up this time Serena." He muttered as he switched the kettle on.

* * *

Olivia sat in the side room down in the basement with Charlotte's web open on her lap. She had been enjoying it, it was almost as if she had gone back to a part of her childhood where she had very little cares, she didn't know about the apparent rapist that was her father, she had friends, teachers and others who looked out for her and the only problem was her alcoholic abusive mother whom she didn't realise then was sick and she didn't realise that what the woman was doing was even a crime.

She knew she was pushing Don away and shutting him out but it was hard for her to let anyone in, it always had been because she'd been so independent and as much as she wanted to have him in her life and wanted to get to know him like a daughter knew her father she was conflicted. At first she had hated her mother for dying, blamed her for drinking herself stupid and for lying to her for all these years but now she found herself feeling sorry for her mother and feeling particularly guilty. It must have hurt her Mom to see her stood there with Don Cragen, a man from what Olivia could tell her mother had once loved a man who had most certainly loved her mother.

* * *

"Hey, Thanks for coming." Don said opening the door to let the man in.

"How are you?" He asked.

"George can you at least wait until we've sat down?" Don laughed as he walked into the living room.

"Sorry." He shrugged as he followed him.

He sat down in the arm chair while Don took the one opposite, he was still conflicted about telling the psychiatrist when he hadn't discussed it with Olivia first but he was stuck because he wanted to help her and she was refusing to help him help her, she'd shut herself off from him even in the same house which he didn't even know was possible.

"Anyway it's not for me I've asked you to come here." Don said which just confused the hell out of George.

"Sorry?" George asked and Don smiled.

"First of all what I'm about to tell you very few people know, other than Elliot none of the other's at SVU know and I'd appreciate it if you stayed like that till those involved are ready to tell them." Don said being careful not to make it obvious what he was about to say or who it involved.

"Of course." George replied.

"It's Olivia." Don said and George nodded his head gently. "Olivia is… well Olivia is my daughter."

"How do you know?" George asked.

"Paternity test." Don replied. "She knows and Elliot knows and that's it other than her Mother who's now dead of course."

"Ok." George nodded.

"I need you to talk to her." Don continued. "She's shut herself off, she won't talk to me and I'm stuck."

"Don, she's been so independent her whole adult life, she'd grieving, I'm not surprised she isn't talking to you, I'm sure she'll be ok once she gets back to work tomorrow and sees you." George reassured.

"George, she's here." Don said and George's face showed the surprise he felt.

"Oh." He managed.

"Right now she's in the side room of the basement, that's where she has been for the last two days not even coming up when I call her for dinner but she's eating it because I leave a note to tell her where it is and so I know she's eating it but other than 'I'm ok' and 'I'll have it later' she's not spoken to me since the funeral." Don explained and George could see the older man was hurting.

"What's she doing down in the basement?" George asked gently.

"Reading. I… cutting a long story short I knew there was a chance Olivia was mine when her mother was pregnant, Olivia's the reason I went to rehab and got clean but then when I came home Serena said that she wasn't mine and when I went to visit Olivia and Serena just after she was born Serena said she'd get an RO if I didn't stay away and I was a Cop who'd been to rehab I couldn't risk it so I stayed away, every year, birthdays and Christmas I'd buy things for Olivia though I couldn't give them to her, I bought age suitable things of course, she didn't stay a baby in my mind and when I found out Olivia was mine I moved everything from the bedroom I'd made up for her all those years ago and put them in the side room in the basement, I found Olivia down there on the day of her Mother's funeral reading Charlotte's Web which I bought as one of her ninth birthday gifts and I know it was unhealthy George. I stopped on her twenty first birthday thinking I'd never see her again and then nearly four years later here we are."

"Ok." George said as his mind processed all the information he'd just learned. "Can I go down and see Olivia."

"Of course. But I didn't tell her I was calling you." Don warned as he led him to the basement door. "The side room's on the other side of the pool."

"Ok." George nodded before slipping through the door leaving the Captain hoping Olivia wouldn't be mad with him for calling the shrink to help.

He could hear Olivia's voice as he walked slowly around the pool. She was reading aloud and he smiled as her voice changed to what he guessed was to suit characters. When he arrived at the door he knocked lightly even though it was only partially closed.

"Come in." Olivia said lifting her head up.

"Hey." George smiled.

"Oh he didn't." Olivia groaned closing the book and getting to her feet.

"Liv he didn't know what else to do." George replied.

"It doesn't matter, this isn't his secret to tell, we both agreed to keep it quiet for a while… I needed to keep it quiet for a while." Olivia explained as she took the book over to the shelf allowing George's eyes to wander across all the stuff in the room.

"He needed help Olivia, he thought you needed help, that's why he called me and that's why he told me." George sighed as she stood by the book case with her arms crossed in front of her.

"This, is none of your business, it's privet." She said before walking out the room in a huff.

George rolled his eyes, he knew Olivia would be less than welcoming especially his intrusion into the room which seemed to hold her unknown childhood. When she said this is privet he knew she was mainly talking about the situation but he also knew it meant the room he was standing in, her privet room, her things.

He followed her out the room in time to see her feet vanish up the top few stairs and the door slam shut behind her with a bang! He hoped that the door didn't lock up or jam because he didn't fancy being stuck even if there was a large pool and a side room with hours of fun inside.

"Olivia!" Don yelled at his daughter as she ran up the stairs.

She froze and turned around.

"What?" She spat like an angry teenager who'd been caught skipping school.

"Where's George?" He asked.

"Still in the basement, I'm sure he's stood there still psychoanalysing the very little I said to him. Now if you don't mind I'm going to my room." She hissed rolling her eyes before running up the last few steps.

Don could only watch her go with a heavy heart. He had to remember that she was an adult, a young one, but still and adult. She still had some teenage tendencies in her though, that would have something to do with her not even being twenty five years old yet. George emerged from the basement door and look apologetically towards the man standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"Where is she?" George asked.

"Her room, third door on the right." Don said with a wave of his hand.

"I don't think she liked me intruding on her space down there Don, that's why she got upset more than anything." He reassured.

"Ok." Don shrugged but he obviously didn't understand the logic.

"Don, that room down there with things you've bought her is like a little sanctuary, when she's down there for a little while she can forget a lot of things or pretend like things are different. She's practically still a kid." He reminded him.

"Yeah I guess." Don shrugged. "I just hate that she's shutting me out."

"I know, but she's doing exactly what she would have done had you been there for her all her life, its proof she's let you in." George told him before heading up the stairs leaving Don to contemplate what he had just been told.

George found the door without a problem. It had a teddy bear plaque with Olivia's name on it that made it easier. He knocked on the door and waited for her echoing 'go away' before he opened the door.

"I thought I told you to go away?" She asked as he walked into her bedroom.

"You did, doesn't mean I'm going to listen." He replied with raised eyebrows as Olivia sat cross legged on the large cherry wood canopy bed with her bear on her lap, her fingers picking at the fur absentmindedly.

George took the seat from in front of the desk which had case files strewn upon it and turned it towards the bed before sitting down.

"Your secret's safe with me Olivia." He told her and she looked from her lap up at him.

"I know that." She said with a shrug. "I just don't get why he called you."

"He's worried about you, this whole parenting thing is as new to him as having a father in your life is to you." He said and Olivia nodded her head weakly, she felt a little ashamed of her behaviour.

"I don't know how to talk to him." She said.

"I guessed." George said with a reassuring smile.

"But not just that, the things I maybe would talk to him about… I'm scared they'll upset him too." Olivia replied.

"Maybe what you have to talk about would upset him but it wouldn't change how much he loves you Olivia."

"But that's my point!" Olivia snapped angrily. "You said it wouldn't change how much he loves me but how can he even love me, he's not known me five minutes!"

"Olivia, he's known about you and loved you since your mother told him she was pregnant with you, he came to see you in the hospital, he would have been there for you your whole life had he been given half the chance, he loves you, unconditionally and has done for nearly twenty five years." George replied having already picked up on all of that from Don. "But you're scared because you don't know if you love him, because you don't know how to love a father because you've always hated who you thought was your father for raping your mom." George added when the realisation hit him.

Olivia groaned and climbed off the bed and George watched her go over to the window and look out over the busy Manhattan Streets.

"It's not that." She said with a new vulnerability in her voice. "I do love him." She continued and Huang could hear the conviction and strength behind the words that told him to believe it.

"You're scared of loving him." Huang realised and she nodded and wiped at the tears dripping down her cheeks.

"I always thought I loved my Mom, even though she treated me like absolute shit, was abusive and a drunk who drank herself till she fell to her death, I still thought I loved her but…" Olivia's voice broke off, saying what she was thinking out loud made it final.

"But you don't feel the same for her as you feel for Don." George finished and though she didn't reply he was sure he saw a tiny nod of the head.

"It doesn't make any sense, my Mom was there every single day from the day I was born, Don has been there for just over a year and I've only known he was my father five days." Olivia sighed. "But he's been there for me these past five days more than my Mom was there for twenty five years."

She turned from the window and looked at the shrink that she'd even consider a friend these days. "The guilt has been eating away at me since her funeral, when I realised I didn't love her the way a daughter should love her mother."

"How should a daughter love a mother?" Huang asked gently.

"There should be no boundaries…" Olivia started as she turned back to a window. "It should be unconditional, it should be killing me that I'm never going to see her again but instead…" She dropped her head into her hands and took a deep calming breath before turning to look at the shrink again. "Instead I'm praying that she's rotting in hell."

"She hurt you Olivia." George said softly. "A lot. Finding out that she lied to you for years, that she knew all along there was a chance that Don was your dad on top of the years of abuse, it's fair that you're praying that she's paying for that now."

"But I don't feel like that towards Don." She continued. "He's been in my life so little yet… yet I'm so scared of losing him yet with my Mom I accepted her death, it doesn't make any sense!"

"You're over thinking it all Olivia." George smiled reassuringly. "You're allowed to be afraid of losing Don, you accepted your Mom's death due to alcohol years ago but this love is new, it's different, it goes both ways, Don has done nothing but show you love and care since your first day as his Detective, when he handed you your gold shield and finding out he was biologically your father was the icing on the top that made that love all the more powerful and made it unconditional."

"I guess." Olivia shrugged before going to sit down on the bed again.

* * *

Later that evening after George had left Don knocked on Olivia's bedroom door and waited for her usually chirpy 'come in' when it didn't come he slowly opened the door.

"Olivia?" He asked before poking his head around.

He saw her on top of the covers still fully clothed bar her shoes fast asleep with her pink bear underneath her arm, he didn't want to disturb her when she looked so peaceful but he wanted her to eat to, George had suggested there was a chance she had actually been throwing away the food that he'd been leaving for her and so to keep a closer eye on her and the garbage can.

"Olivia." He said softly shaking her shoulder.

She moaned and turned onto her back.

"Olivia honey wake up." He said.

Her eyes slowly flickered open the closed again and Don waited as she slowly roused from her sleep.

"Hey you hungry?" He asked softly and Olivia's head turned to him and with a smile she nodded. "Food's ready." He smiled back as she pushed herself to sitting.

Without a word she leaned into him and wrapped her arms tight around him. He was quick to return the embrace and stroke his hand softly up and down her back.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"What are you thanking me for?" He asked with a soft smile as he pulled away so he could look into her eyes.

"Just being here." She said and he smiled at her.

"I'm going to always be here for you Olivia." He told her. "You give me a reason to need to be here."

She smiled and gave him another brief hug before she climbed off the bed. He watched her with a smile on her face and as she grabbed the door handle she turned to look at him.

"I thought you said dinner was ready." She asked so innocently it made Don chuckle.

"It is." He smiled getting up and following her out the door.

They sat at the table and Don was conscious in watching her eat. He needn't have worried at all. Olivia ate all of her food plus seconds and the dessert he'd made to keep himself busy while George had been upstairs with Olivia.

"I want to come back to work tomorrow." She said as she sipped at her coffee.

"Ok, if you think you're ready." He smiled.

"I am." She said firmly and he nodded completely agreeing with her, he knew she would know when she was ready, no one could decide for her.

"Good." He replied and she looked at him and gave him a smile that made her dark brown eyes sparkle. "What?"

"I was talking to Elliot yesterday." She started and he nodded softly, it wasn't a surprise that the two had become close as friends but he couldn't help but wonder how close they were exactly. "And he mentioned something Fin might have uh … insinuated? At the funeral." She said with a hint of laughter in her voice.

"What do you mean? What did he say?" Don asked and Olivia broke out in a wide grin and laughed.

"He might have asked Elliot if you and I were… together." She managed before laughing harder.

Don just gawped, it was funny, he wasn't surprised at his Detective's perception except that he was at the complete wrong end of the spectrum.

"You think it's time Munch and Fin found out?" He asked.

"I don't know, I thought it was hilarious when Elliot told me." Olivia said. "But I'd rather one pp find out I'm your daughter and not hear rumours that I'm your girlfriend." She laughed again.

"Yeah I'm with you on that one. About that, we are going to have to inform one pp at some point." He said gently and all laughter seized.

"You think they'll make me leave the squad?" Olivia asked horror all over her face.

"No I don't." He assured. "They can't. Captain Rodriquez used to run Major cases and three of his sons were on the squad."

"That's ok then." Olivia smiled and he nodded. "There was actually something I wanted to ask you." She said cautiously.

"Go on." Don encouraged.

"Well, I don't know if you'd agree I mean you can say no but if we're going to tell Munch and Fin and inform one pp then if it's ok with you then…" She was really struggling to say it.

"Spit it out Liv." Don chuckled lightly.

"I would like to take your surname." She said hurriedly and Don looked at her.

For a moment you could have heard a pin drop and the fear he would say no rushed through Olivia like a blood for an open artery but when he broke out in a wide grin the relief came out in one free breath.

"I'd like that." He smiled. "I'd really like that."

"Thank you." She smiled, he didn't know that it was the final straw of acceptance for Olivia.


	9. Chapter 9

**Olivia Benson is just a rookie. She's been at SVU a year and is in a steady yet secret relationship with her hot partner. Her whole world is turned upside down when news on her one year anniversary shakes her up. Does she accept it or does she fight it and what does she do when she realises she's getting everything she ever prayed for?**

**AU EO**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own. I also do not own any rights to the story Charlotte's web which appears in this story! **

**A/N: So I know that you all are really wanting the EO, I promise it's coming but there is a little bit of a wait because it isn't the main plotline, I'll try slip in some EO moments when I can but while I figure this whole Don/Liv thing it's going to take some time, I hope it will be worth the wait though guys because Don will find out and he'll find out with a splash ;)**

The next morning Olivia went to work. Don had left an hour before he because they didn't want to make it obvious until they were really ready to tell people and after speaking with lawyers and a judge they were getting ready to register Olivia's name change first.

Then Don would have to tell one pp which they were sure wasn't going to be an issue as she had been working under his command for a year without knowing their biological relationship and it hadn't really been known long enough to find out if it would affect them in work yet.

Olivia walked into the precinct and deposited Elliot's coffee on his desk before taking her own. As per usual she draped her jacket over the back of her chair, ran her fingers through her dark auburn locks and sat down ready to start her day.

Her computer had barely booted when Cragen's office door opened and automatically the four Detectives' ears waited for the call.

"Stabler, Cragen you've got a DB on West hundred and eighth Warner's on scene." He said walking to Elliot with the yellow slip in his hand.

"Uh Cap are you going senile?" Fin asked gruffly.

"No of course he isn't, he's been drinking government influenced coffee…"

"Shut up!" Elliot, Olivia and Don called together making everyone but Munch laugh.

"Cap you called Stabler and Cragen not Stabler and Benson." Fin said with a worried look in his eye.

"I know I did." Cragen replied and Olivia couldn't hide the smile that played on the edge of her lips very well.

"You got married?" Fin yelled.

"Eww!" Olivia yelled while Don stared in complete and utter shock.

"Then why call Cragen?" Munch asked feeling very confused.

"Uh guys, we found out a week ago that…" Olivia slipped her hand into her father's and he gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Guys Don is my … well he's my Dad."

The two men and the rest of the people in the room who were members of the special victims looked at the two in complete shock. Elliot just smiled like the goofball he was and Olivia grinned like a Cheshire cat.

"Your Dad?" Fin finally asked.

"Benson's your kid?" Munch asked looking from Don to Olivia. "Jesus she obviously got her looks from her Mom."

"Not really, she's got … his forehead?" Elliot tried making the father and daughter laugh, they'd not noticed it but they did have similar sized and shaped foreheads.

"Ok guys as much as I've enjoyed shocking the news into you Liv, El, body, ME, waiting, go." He said as the two grabbed their coats and their coffee's and headed out.

Cragen chuckled to himself as he returned to the office, now there was only one call left to make but that could wait until her name change was legal that afternoon, he just hoped Judge Donnelly worked fast.

"Cragen's Liv's Daddy… Jesus that never even crossed my mind." Fin muttered.

"You thought they were married!" Munch laughed. "What on God's green earth made you think that?"

"Maureen asked Elliot why were Liv and Don holding hands, they seemed awfully cosy and so the first thing that came to my mind was that they were together." Fin shrugged feeling a little disgusted with himself for even thinking it but hey, they worked SVU, they had seen worse.

"Fair enough but can you really see a hottie like Benson going for an older man like Cragen come on…"

"Oi, enough that's my daughter you're talking about there." Cragen snapped half joking half deathly serious as he exited the office. "You two have a rape victim at Mercy, Sheila Donavon, have fun." He said handing them the pink slip.

"Yeah uh sorry about what I said about Benson…"

"If you didn't hear me earlier John I suggest you wash out your ears, her name is Cragen, Olivia Emily Cragen." Don spat.

"Emily? Ben… I mean Olivia's name is Olivia Emily?"

"Is that hard to believe?" Olivia asked walking back into the bullpen with Elliot.

"Hold up why aren't you at the crime scene?" Don asked.

"Warner called homicide took it, no sign of a sex crime." Elliot shrugged.

"And yes my name is Olivia Emily after the poet Emily Dickinson." Olivia smiled, it was one part of her identity she'd always understood.

"Emily Dickinson, I'm nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody too?" John smiled at the young Detective in front of him.

"You know her work?" Olivia asked in surprise, she'd never though John Munch would be a fan of Emily Dickinson.

"I know some, I like another one she wrote, Nobody knows this little rose, It might a pilgrim be. Did I not take it from the ways and lift it up to thee?"

"Only a bee would miss it, only a butterfly, hastening from far journey, on its breast to lie."

"Only a bird will wonder, only a breeze will sigh..."

"Ahh little rose how easy, for such as thee to die." Olivia finished with tears in her eyes and John looked quite apologetic but she shrugged it off.

"John, Fin, Mercy, now." Don said seeing Olivia was upset.

"Elliot go over to CSU, O'Halloran called said he might have something on the Cruz case, he's been re-looking at the crime scene layout with the lasers and think his incompetent protégée might have gotten it wrong." Don said.

Elliot looked at Olivia and saw she was upset and though he wanted to wrap his arms around her in their present situation he couldn't so he hurried out leaving Don to comfort his daughter.

"You ok?" He asked pulling her into a hug.

"Yeah I'm fine." She said wiping the tears that silently drifted down her cheeks.

"Too soon?" He asked.

"Just a little, that was the poem that…"

"I know, I was listening, John left to come back here before she was buried." He told her softly.

"It was her favourite Emily Dickinson poem." Olivia sniffed, "mine too I guess I mean I grew up listening to her say it to me before I'd go to sleep every time she was drunk but sober enough to remember she had a daughter."

"She loved you in her own way Olivia." Don told her gently.

"I know." Olivia sighed holding around Don as if scared she'd lose him if she let go. "I'm just finding it really difficult to love her right now, the line between love and hate is just to blurred Dad." She said softly and he gently stroked his hand through her hair.

"You know if it's too soon you can go home." He told her and she looked up at him her head still on his chest.

"It's too soon for poems, not for work so I am going to look through the Morris file and see what it is I missed." She smiled before letting go and walking to her desk.

Don looked at his daughter getting straight into work and he smiled, he loved her so much, it didn't matter in one way that he'd missed nearly twenty five years because he hopefully had the next twenty five to make it up to her.


	10. Chapter 10

**Olivia Benson is just a rookie. She's been at SVU a year and is in a steady yet secret relationship with her hot partner. Her whole world is turned upside down when news on her one year anniversary shakes her up. Does she accept it or does she fight it and what does she do when she realises she's getting everything she ever prayed for?**

**AU EO**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own. I also do not own any rights to the story Charlotte's web which appears in this story! **

A couple of days past and things slowly became more normal at SVU. The squad was used to the idea that Don was Olivia's father.

"Guys listen up, this is Detective Chester Lake who's just transferred in temporarily." Don said coming into the bullpen with a young Detective around Olivia and Elliot's age.

"Nice to meet you." Chester said waving his hand awkwardly.

"Detective Lake is going to be switching partners depending on the case for now but Sergeant Munch is taking more of a back seat so he'll be mainly partnered with you Fin." Don explained while Lake was clearly checking Olivia out under the watchful glare of Elliot Stabler. "Fin why don't you show Lake his desk and show him around the precinct?" Don asked with a slight edge to his voice which meant he'd noticed Lake checking Olivia out.

"Sure thing Cap." Fin said dropping his hand onto Chester's shoulder quite heavily as he'd noticed him looking at Olivia as if he was undressing her with his eyes and felt the need to be protective.

Cragen nodded his head and went into his office while Fin walked off with Chester the other three went back to their paperwork.

"So what's her name?" Chester asked as he placed his box on his desk.

"That is Detective Cragen." Fin said with a growl in his voice.

"Detective Cragen? Wait is she…"

"She's his daughter." Fin warned. "Hands and eyes off."

"Ok…" Chester said. "But she's a big girl, can't she make her own decisions."

"Stay away from Olivia." Fin growled.

"Olivia, pretty name for a pretty girl." Chester replied ignoring Fin's warning.

"Oh no she's not pretty, she's fucking gorgeous but she's also the Captain's daughter, stay away from her Lake." Fin warned.

"Why? I mean fucking look at her man, she's hot, she's obviously fucking strong and with an ass like that…" Fin glanced over to see Olivia bending over Elliot's desk talking and turned around back to Lake quickly before throwing his fist into Lake's face.

"Fin!" Olivia yelled running over followed quickly by Elliot and Munch while Cragen ran from his office.

"What the hell is going on?" Cragen asked as Olivia grabbed a tissue and tended to Lake's nose.

"Nothing Cap." Fin said as Elliot was checking his fist.

"The two of you my office now." Cragen snapped and Olivia smiled softly as Lake took the tissue from her and smiled uncomfortably at her.

The other three watched as Fin and Lake walked into Cragen's office wondering what it was that happened between the newbie and Fin.

Cragen glared at the two Detectives in front of him.

"Now which one of you wants to explain to me what the hell you were thinking?" Cragen snapped angrily.

"Nothing sir it was just a misunderstanding…"

"Misunderstanding my ass." Fin snapped interrupting Lake.

"You wanna tell me why you decided to deck him one?" Cragen asked still clearly angry.

"He was hitting on baby girl." Fin said. "Talking about her like she was a piece of meat Cap, he needed to know that was unacceptable."

Cragen glared at Lake as if he was ready to throw a punch to but he had to remember he couldn't.

"Well Detective Lake I believe you'll learn your lesson now." Cragen said. "Fin you can go."

Fin nodded his head and hurried out the office leaving Lake with Cragen which might not have been such a good idea.

"I'm sorry Sir." Lake said bowing his head.

Cragen grabbed him by his jacket and pulled him closer.

"That's my daughter, I ever hear about you talking about her like that and I will kill you, slowly and I'm a good cop, I know how to make it look like an accident." Cragen warned. "Now get out of here." He added when the phone began to ring.

Lake nodded his head and walked out into the bullpen realising that he should have taken Fin's warning, as soon as he heard Olivia was his boss' daughter he should have shut his mouth.

Olivia glanced from Lake to Fin wondering what had happened between them, whatever it was something told her she'd never know.

"Olivia." Cragen called from the door of his office.

Olivia looked over and realised he was calling her in. She glanced at Fin and Lake before making her way from her desk to the office wondering what it was she was wanted for, to her knowledge she hadn't done anything wrong this week.

"What's up?" Olivia asked.

"Liz Donnelly just called." He said and a smile spread on Olivia's face. "Fancy going down to the courthouse now?"

"Absolutely." Olivia smiled.

"You need a witness, you want your partner to co-sign?" Don asked grabbing his jacket.

"Yeah I think so." Olivia smiled broadly, she couldn't deny that she was excited.

"Get your coat then, let's go." Don smiled dropping his hat onto his head, his coat draped over the side of his arm.

Olivia hurried out of the office and the smile on her face wasn't missed by anyone.

"El grab your coat and keys." Olivia smiled as she pulled on her own leather jacket.

"Why?" Elliot frowned seeing Cragen behind him.

"Just come on." Olivia smiled and Elliot felt a little odd but grabbed his coat anyway.

* * *

At the courthouse the three walked in and was shown straight to Liz Donnelly's chambers. The Judge smiled broadly at the three and ushered them in.

"Captain Cragen, Olivia, Detective Stabler." She said with a smile so unlike the Liz Donnelly the two Detectives knew.

"So ready to do this Olivia?" Liz asked and Olivia just nodded and took a deep breath.

"Liv you gonna tell me what's going on?" Elliot asked and Olivia laughed.

"You're going to co-sign my name change." She said. "You'll be my witness."

"Ok." Elliot nodded he hadn't realised that they hadn't done this yet.

Donnelly called them over to the desk and then she handed the paper to Olivia.

"All you need to do is sign and date it." Liz told them both and Olivia quickly took the pen offered to her …

"Wait do I sign it Olivia Benson or Cragen?" Olivia laughed.

"Cragen." Liz smiled glancing at Don who looked on proudly.

"Detective Stabler, please sign that you witnessed Olivia signing this." Liz said passing the paper and pen over.

Elliot smiled at Olivia and quickly signed the paper knowing that it was what she wanted.

"Congratulations Detective, you're now definitely Cragen." Liz said slipping the paper into a file. "You'll get a copy of this in a few days."

"We're going to celebrate, would you like to join us Liz?" Don asked and Liz smiled and nodded.

"I don't see why not, my calendar is clear for the rest of the day." Liz said grabbing his coat.

"Where we going Dad?" Olivia asked linking arms with him to stop her from reaching for Elliot's hand.

"How about we go to Luigi's, my treat?" He asked and Olivia smiled and nodded, her favourite Italian restaurant.

* * *

After they'd eaten Olivia sipped at her glass of wine aware of how close Liz and Don seemed to be. He would lean in to talk to her and she'd lean back in to listen and Olivia knew there was a possibility they were more than friends.

"Why don't the two of you head off to the pub or something? We'll catch you up later on?" Don suggested seeing Olivia and Elliot were both looking uncomfortable.

"Ok." Olivia smiled getting to her feet and walking around to Don. "Thanks for lunch Dad." She said before kissing his cheek while Elliot got their coats.

The couple walked outside trying not to reach for each other's hands but as soon as the front door shut behind them Olivia pulled Elliot into the alley beside and slammed Elliot into the wall to kiss him ferociously.

"Jesus Liv." He moaned as her lips momentarily left his.

"Come on." Liv said taking the car keys from his hand.

Elliot didn't argue knowing she had some idea about what she was doing as she dragged him towards the car.

* * *

"Where are we?" Elliot asked as Olivia pulled the car up.

"Home." Olivia shrugged as she unbuckled her belt. "You coming in?"

"Home as in Don's house?" Elliot asked unbuckling his own belt.

"Yeah." Olivia laughed.

Elliot felt just a little bit uncomfortable being at his superior's house but when Olivia took his hand and led him inside he relaxed some. The door clicked shut behind them and Olivia took Elliot by the hand down to the basement.

"Don has a pool?" Elliot asked seeing the large blue indoor pool.

"Yeah. But that's not what I want to show you." Olivia laughed gently. "Come on."

She found the key for the side room as they walked around and she took Elliot into what had become her sanctuary.

"What is all this?" Elliot asked as he looked around.

"Years of birthday and Christmas presents." Olivia laughed softly. "Every year since I was born Don has bought birthday and Christmas presents for me hoping that someday he'd get the chance to give them to me." Olivia explained.

"Wow." Elliot said in shock. "He always thought you were his?"

"Always wanted me to be." Olivia shrugged. "Same difference really right?"

Olivia turned around and kissed Elliot and he kissed her back slowly. As her lips were still on his she walked out of the room pulling the door shut behind her. She then stepped back from Elliot and took off her jumper.

"What are you doing?" Elliot chuckled as she began to unbutton her shirt.

"Skinny dipping, Dad's with Liz, they won't be home for a while." Olivia chuckled.

Elliot shook his head and pulled his own shirt over his head as Olivia slipped off her shoes and began to unbuckle her belt. They watched each other eagerly as they took off their own clothes piece by piece. Olivia was the first to finish and wearing just her panties and bra she dove into the pool making Elliot chuckle. Once he was just in his boxer's he bombed in and Olivia laughed loudly. Elliot swam to her and slipped his hands around her back.

"Skinny dipping requires no clothes Detective." He said with a chuckle as his hand found the hook of her bra.

"Says the one still in his boxers." Olivia laughed as he threw her bra onto the side of the pool her hands found the top of his boxers.

He chuckled deeply as she kicked her legs to stay above water but pulled on his boxer shorts. As soon as they were off he was finding the lining of her panties and it was Olivia's turn to laugh. Once they were off he swam towards her and she backed up into the pool wall.

"Detective?" Olivia asked batting her eyelashes playfully.

"You're so beautiful did you know that?" He asked as his hand reached around to the clip holding her hair back.

"My Daddy tells me all the time." Olivia shrugged as she laughed playfully.

"Yeah well your Daddy may be just a little biased." Elliot said as Olivia's hands snaked around the back of his neck using him to hold her up a little.

Her lips clasped onto his softly as she heard her clip clang somewhere off the edge of the pool. He returned the kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist feeling her soft skin against his tough abs. She moaned subconsciously in her mouth unaware that they were slowly moving towards the centre of the pool. Olivia's nails slowly scratched up and down Elliot's back while his hands stroked up and down her waist. He grunted as one of Olivia's hands travelled to his bum slowly teasing forward then back. She giggled softly as Elliot nudged against her letting her feel his stiff erection.

"Why Detective Stabler? I think someone's happy to see me?" She said with a fake British accent.

"Someone's always happy to fucking see you Olivia." He grunted as she wrapped her legs around his waist as a hint she wanted him.

"You want me huh?" He teased.

"God Yeah." She replied feeling his shaft brushing against her hot core making her gasp and moan.

"What do you want Baby?" Elliot teased.

"You El!" Olivia moaned.

"Where do you want me Liv?" Elliot continued biting her bottom lip playfully.

"Inside me El, I want you inside me." She laughed.

With one shift of his hips Olivia gasped and moaned deeply as he penetrated her.

"Fuck El." She moaned loudly.

He latched his lips onto hers as she did all the work, he supported her hips.

"God Liv." He grunted as she bobbed up and down on his pulsating erection.

A click of the door however brought them to a complete stop.

"Shit!" Olivia gasped.

Elliot quickly pulled out of Olivia which earned him a deep moan but footsteps on the stairs had them both panicking. Olivia pushed Elliot under the water just as Don and Liz feet appeared. He swam around the back of Olivia and kept under the water.

"Butterfly what are you doing down here?" Don asked seeing his daughter in the pool, luckily the kick off her legs hid the fact she was stark naked but she was aware of Liz's eyes scanning the area around the pool.

"Daddy what are you doing here?" Olivia replied quickly trying to act more surprised than embarrassed.

"We came for coffee, where's Elliot?" Don asked. "His car's outside."

"Uh bathroom?" Olivia tried as she tried not to laugh at Elliot's breath on her back.

"Olivia?" Don replied firmer.

Elliot slipped out from behind Olivia and she dropped her head into her hand.

"Both of you get dressed, I'll meet you in the kitchen." Don said before storming back up the stairs Liz Donnelly hot on his heels.

"Busted." Olivia laughed as the door slammed behind Don.

"Come on we should get changed quickly before he comes down here again." Elliot said his erection having deflated now.

Olivia turned around and kissed him softly.

"I'll just tell him the truth, El we've been dating for nearly eight months and I'm not going to hide it from him anymore, we knew we'd have to tell him sometime even before we found out he was my Dad." Olivia said as she cupped his face in her hand.

"I know, I just would have preferred it to be one of those awkward sit downs in the living room, not getting caught skinny dipping." Elliot chuckled lightly.

* * *

"I had no idea." Don sighed as he made four mugs of coffee.

"Don, they've probably been hiding this for a while." Liz said gently. "Probably since before Olivia knew she was your daughter."

"I know, but I wish she'd have told me." Don replied. "I'm going to have to split them up…"

"Daddy please don't?" Olivia asked coming into the kitchen.

"Butterfly … We'll talk about it later ok?" Don said gently as he passed her a towel he'd gotten for her.

She took it and began to dry her hair as Elliot came into the room avoiding looking at Don in complete embarrassment.

"Here." Don said pushing mugs in front of the two who had sat down by the breakfast bar.

"Thanks." Olivia and Elliot replied at once.

Once they all had a coffee Don stood in front of Olivia and Elliot on the other side of the breakfast bar looking from on to the other while they kept their eyes down.

"How long?" Don asked and Liz rolled her eyes, now wasn't the time to do this in her mind.

"Eight months near enough." Olivia replied without lifting her eyes from her mug.

"Eight months?" Don choked. "You've been what? Messing around? Sleeping with each other?"

"Dating Daddy." Olivia replied. "We've been dating for eight months."

"You would have been at SVU four months then." Don replied looking disappointed.

"Not now Dad." Olivia asked her voice pleading.

"Then when Olivia? Why not now?" Don asked.

Olivia just shrugged, she really felt like a teenager being reprimanded.

"I'm sorry Daddy please don't separate us." Olivia said finally looking at her father her deep brown eyes hooking onto his.

"Olivia you can't be partners and a couple it's policy, I told you that because I was scared of this happening."

"Daddy it's SVU policy, that you made to stop this happening but it happened anyway." Olivia replied. "Please don't split us up."

"I have no choice Olivia I made that policy…"

"Ugh this is so unfair!" She snapped before jumping off her stool and walking off.

Elliot just kept his eyes down still unsure what to do.

"Olivia!" Don yelled after her as she walked away slamming her feet on the stairs.

"Don." Liz said firmly. "I'll go…"

"She's not your daughter or responsibility." Don replied softly, he wasn't going to take it out on Liz.

"And she's a girl who's just been caught in a compromising position by her father, the last person she wants to talk to right now is you, let me go." Liz replied calmly. "There's a young man you should be talking too." She added her eyes flicking to Elliot.

Don nodded and watched as Liz went for the stairs knowing she knew exactly where Olivia's bedroom was already.

He walked back to the kitchen and took on of the stools so he could sit opposite Elliot.

"Well you want to tell me what on earth you were thinking?" Don asked Elliot.

"With what?" Elliot asked finally looking up at his superior with a red blush of embarrassment.

"Dating Olivia? I warned you when she came to SVU she was off limits." Don snapped.

"I know, she invited me out Don and I couldn't say no." Elliot replied with a shrug.

"Couldn't say no? Were you thinking with what's in your trousers or what's in your head?" Don snapped.

"Don." Elliot sighed. "You know her as well as I do, she's beautiful, kind hearted, sensitive, she's amazing Don, she's just amazing and I can't tell you anything else but I have fallen for her, everything about her."

"Do you love her?" Don asked.

"Yes I do." Elliot replied. "More than I thought possible."

* * *

"Olivia can I come in?" Liz asked knocking on the bedroom door softly.

"Go away!" Olivia replied and it was obvious to the judge that the young woman was crying.

"I'm coming in." Liz said opening the door.

Olivia was curled up on the top of her bed, her back to the door, her pink bear wrapped in her arms into her chest.

"I thought I said go away not come in." Olivia hiccupped through her tears.

"You did." Liz replied as she walked towards the bed. "Doesn't mean I'm going to listen."

Olivia just sniffed as she cried trying to stop but being unable to.

"What's got you so upset Olivia?" Liz asked sitting on the side of the bed beside the young Detective.

"I don't want to be partnered with anyone else." Olivia cried. "I couldn't do this job without Elliot."

"You really think that? That you can only do this job because of Detective hot head?"

"I don't know." Olivia sighed as she wiped her tears. "I really don't know anything anymore."

"What do you mean?" Liz asked softly.

"My whole world got turned upside down Liz, I grew up believing my Dad to be some sort of monster than I find out my Dad's the greatest man I've ever known, then my Mom goes and takes a tumble down some subway steps because she's to fucked up to handle real life and now… now I'm facing losing the only stable thing I've had."


	11. Chapter 11

**Olivia Benson is just a rookie. She's been at SVU a year and is in a steady yet secret relationship with her hot partner. Her whole world is turned upside down when news on her one year anniversary shakes her up. Does she accept it or does she fight it and what does she do when she realises she's getting everything she ever prayed for?**

**AU EO**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own. I also do not own any rights to the story Charlotte's web which appears in this story! **

The next day at SVU it was obvious that there was something going on between Olivia and Don. They weren't looking at each other and Don kept himself in the office while Olivia stayed particularly quiet and stony face. When Cragen did burst out the office everyone but Olivia lifted their heads in his direction.

"Cragen! Lake! DB Central Park ME and CSU en route." Don said passing the paper to Lake without even looking at Olivia.

"Ugh!" Olivia groaned grabbing her coat and walking up to her father. "Are you asking for trouble?"

"Are you threatening me Detective?" He growled tension thick in the air that had everyone in the squad room silent.

"No but you're putting my life at risk and his by sending me out with him." Olivia hissed her finger pointing out towards Lake.

"Detective Benson!"

"Oh so it's Benson now?" Olivia said with tears in her eyes.

"Olivia…"

"Screw you." Olivia snapped grabbing hold of the slip from Lake's hand and marching out before Don could say anything else.

* * *

"So uh what's rattled Daddy's cage?" Lake asked as they walked from the crime scene.

"None of your business." Olivia replied as she climbed into the driver's seat.

"Oh come on yesterday he was telling me to stay away from you now he's letting me go with you to a crime scene unsupervised." Lake replied.

Olivia just rolled her eyes and drove.

When she got back to the precinct Lake was still chatting her up and quite frankly it was getting on her nerves but as she walked into the bullpen he grabbed her ass. She turned on him, slamming him into the locker while taking her gun out with the other. Everyone in the bullpen reacted to the noise of Lake's body slamming into the locker but when Olivia drew her gun and pointed it at his balls cocking the trigger they all froze, even Cragen who'd rushed from the office.

"You already knew I was having a fucking bad morning Lake, you spent the fucking morning trying to fucking chat me up when I'm clearly not fucking interested but touching me was one fucking sorry ass move Lake now give me a reason not to blow off your man hood." She threatened pressing the gun harder into his crotch.

He whimpered and though Fin was sniggering, Munch was speechless, Elliot had a shit eating grin on his face and Don look frightened, Olivia kept up the look of pure hatred on her face.

"Give me a reason not to fucking pull the trigger!" She hissed angrily.

"Liv…" Elliot said walking towards her.

Her eyes didn't move from Lake's as Elliot called to her, she acted as if she didn't even hear him and he slowly walked to her and slid his hand down her arm before cupping it around the hand holding the gun.

The adrenaline making her hand shake still coursing through her body even as Elliot pulled her hand away and slipped the gun out of her hand.

"Lake! Cragen! My office!" Cragen yelled.

The two glared at each other before marching into Cragen's office.

* * *

"Now which one of you wants to tell me what that was?" Cragen yelled without even bothering to shut the door which wouldn't have made a difference anyway.

The two just stood in complete silence neither one wanting to say anything.

"Well?" Cragen shouted again.

"You sent me with Detective touchy fucking feely he's lucky I didn't pull the fucking trigger when I had the chance!" Olivia yelled. "If you weren't being such an insolent dick then we wouldn't be having this problem!"

"Detective touchy feely?" Cragen turned to lake deciding to ignore Olivia's teenage like arguing. "You touched her? How?"

Lake still said nothing unsure whether it was his superior or Olivia's Dad that was looking at him at that moment.

"He grabbed my ass!" Olivia snapped angrily.

"You did what?" Cragen asked in shock turning to look at Lake.

"I didn't mean anything by it…"

"I don't care if you didn't mean anything by it Detective that's sexual assault! You work in Special Victims! Three day unpaid… get out of my sight!" Cragen yelled.

Lake dropped his gun and badge on the desk and walked out for three days knowing that he was getting a mark in his jacket now.

"Why suspend him?" Olivia asked angrily. "I took care of it!"

"By putting your gun to his crotch!" Cragen snapped.

"Yeah in self-defence." Olivia shrugged. "He touched me up after I'd told him to leave me the fuck alone."

"I have to suspend you too Olivia! You put a gun to a co-workers crotch! It doesn't matter what he did to you! You didn't even pull your gun on him because he touched you, you did it because you were angry with me…"

"Oh don't think so highly of yourself Dad." She replied angrily. "You know what, see you at home." She said throwing her own gun and shield on the table. "Unless you'd prefer it if I went back to my apartment…"

"Of course not… Olivia." She was already walking away with her head held high.

* * *

Olivia arrived back at the house and made herself a coffee. Her mind played over what had happened that morning, she was still quivering with adrenaline as she sat down on the couch in the living room with her drink, her phone vibrating again, she's already turned it on silence because Don had been trying to ring her and Elliot too, she didn't want to talk to any of them while she was mad.

It had been a reflex, grabbing the gun and pointing it into Lake's crotch. He'd crossed a line and considering she was in such a bad mood already she was more surprised that she hadn't pulled the trigger than she was that she'd pulled the gun.

Whatever it was that happened she didn't believe that she or Lake should have been suspended, he shouldn't have touched her up but she wouldn't have called it assault and she handled herself so it wasn't like he was getting away with it, with how he whimpered like a scared child when she dug the business end of the gun into his crotch was punishment enough in Olivia's eyes and yes she knew she had over reacted when she pulled out the gun and flicked the safety off but then again it had been self-defence and should have been reprimanded without suspension, she didn't even know how long she was suspended for because she didn't stay in the office long enough to find out. Her guess was three days, just like Lake.

It was harder than she thought, keeping the distance between her personal life with Cragen as her father and her professional life where Cragen was her boss. Now she shared his name, it was harder and the fact was that when he got home she would still not be on speaking terms with him because of what happened at the office was proof that she was unable to separate the two.

When Don did finally arrive home Olivia had made her way to her bedroom so that she didn't have to see it. He'd had the day to cool down and take out all of his anger at Elliot and Munch and any other officer of third grade Detective that crossed his path and he wanted to speak with her. He made them both a coffee and took them upstairs with him, he knew she wasn't in the basement because she always left the door partly open when she was there because she was scared that she wouldn't be able to open it when she came up.

When he got to her bedroom he took a deep breath before knocking.

"Go away!" She called.

Of course, he wasn't going to listen and opened the door to find her sitting cross legged on her bed with a magazine that was upside down which proved she'd grabbed it quickly while her phone lay beside her with the light on which meant she'd been using it.

"Here." Cragen said passing the mug over.

"Thanks." Olivia replied shrugging and shifting up against her pillows while he sat down on her bed facing the wall.

"I'm really sorry." He said and her surprised face looked at him.

"What are you apologising for?" She asked softly.

"Over reacting." He replied. "You were… in every right to defend yourself even if it was by… by pulling your gun and thrusting it into Lake's crotch."

Olivia managed not to laugh at how uncomfortable Don was. She put her mug down on the end table and crawled on her knees so she was behind him. Her arms wrapped around him and she rested her chin on his shoulder.

"I love you." She said as his hands rubbed her arms.

"I love you too butterfly." He said softly.

"Why do you call me that?" She asked with a chuckle.

"What butterfly?" He asked turning his head a little.

"Yeah." Olivia replied. "I mean it's cute but…"

"That's what I called you when your Mom was pregnant with you and I was in rehab, whoever would listen would hear about how I was going to be the best dad ever to my little butterfly." He explained with a chuckle. "And in my head, whenever I thought of you when you were growing up into this, beautiful young woman, I would still call you my butterfly even though by then I knew your name."

Olivia smiled and squeezed her arms a little.

"Don't you like it?"

"It's nice, except for Liv by Elliot and Livvie by my Mom I never had a nickname." Olivia laughed. "And Dad…" She said letting go of him so she could sit beside him.

"What?" He asked as she slipped her hand into his.

"You are the best Dad ever." She smiled.


	12. Chapter 12

**Olivia Benson is just a rookie. She's been at SVU a year and is in a steady yet secret relationship with her hot partner. Her whole world is turned upside down when news on her one year anniversary shakes her up. Does she accept it or does she fight it and what does she do when she realises she's getting everything she ever prayed for?**

**AU EO**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own. I also do not own any rights to the story Charlotte's web which appears in this story! **

"So how are things going with Olivia?" Huang asked as he accepted the coffee Cragen was passing him.

"That's why I called you. I'm really worried about her." He explained as he led the way into the living room.

Huang wasn't surprised to hear that. Don had reached out to him only a couple of weeks before when he had needed someone to talk to Olivia.

"So what's going on that's got you so worried?" George asked as soon as they were both sat down and relatively comfortable.

"Her behaviour." Don began softly. "She's… I don't know she's acting out, argumentative, slamming doors, she hates me one minute and loves me the next and it's really screwing with my head George I'm scared to say anything because I don't want to have yet another argument with her."

"Ok. Give me some examples of things that have happened." George replied gently.

"Ok well… I caught her and Elliot in the pool… they were naked." Don said as he shook his head trying to get rid of the mental image.

"Ok. So what happened?" George asked.

"I told them I had to split them up, she freaked out marched up stairs slammed her bedroom door and Liz ended up speaking to her." Don replied. "Then when I sent her on a case with Lake he grabbed her provocatively… she slammed him up against the lockers, pulled her gun out on him and took the safety off while pressing the barrel of the gun into his crotch and when I got home after suspending her she first argued with me, told me to go away when I was knocking, I went in and she was holding a magazine upside down and her phone was lit up beside her which meant she had been using it before I walked in. She then hugged me and told me she loved me."

George chuckled softly which earned him a glare from the confused Captain.

"She's testing you." George began. "She's behaving like a typical teenager Don, she's probably not doing it consciously but that's what she's doing, she's testing you out, pushing you away but then pulling you in. When teenagers go through puberty their confused about their changing bodies, Olivia's almost going through puberty all over again, she lost her Mom but gained you, she's moved in with you, her whole world has changed and she had little control over any of it which is like a teenager having no control over their changing bodies. I would be more surprised if she didn't have some teenage like tendencies in a situation like this." George explained as best he could, it wasn't as uncommon as people would think for a person to regress in this manner.

"So what do I do?" Don asked. "I'm worried one of us will push the other too far and I can't lose her." Don replied weakly, he looked almost defeated already and George would have to help him.

"My advice is treat her like a teenager, most teenagers want to be treated like adults and rebel against that by either being worse or acting more like an adult trying to gain the respect they deserve, because Olivia's already an adult, barely but she is, her behaving like a teenager isn't gaining the treatment she is throwing at you." George replied with a small smile, he'd love to see the tough as nails Olivia be treated like a teenager.

"How do I do that? Olivia's twenty four years old I can't ground her…"

"Yes you can." George replied. "When she's out of line send her to her room for a time out and then go and speak with her, hopefully this won't become a severe mental condition as long as you act on it. I'll speak to Olivia in about a week and see how she's coming along."

"So what when we're at home, she speaks out of line I send her to her room?" Don asked to clarify, this was going to be more difficult than he thought.

"Absolutely." George smiled. "Or you can take the keys to the basement from her as punishment, she's going to push harder at first, trying to get a good fight out of you but just keep everything up and then she'll hopefully regress into her old self again."

"Ok." Don nodded.

"Oh and give her a curfew, she probably won't listen to it ever because she is twenty four years old but every time she breaks curfew you have a reason to punish her, she'll comply and grow up eventually just hopefully sooner rather than later."

* * *

That evening Olivia had a date with Elliot. They were going out for a romantic meal and Olivia had spent hours choosing her dress and shoes, preparing her hair and makeup and Don stood in the door of her bedroom looking at how she looked completely finished.

"You look amazing." Don said.

She looked at him in the mirror and a small smile spread on her face.

"I don't approve of your relationship Olivia." Don said and as her smile faded she gave a gentle nod.

"I know." Olivia replied. "But he makes me happy Dad, really happy."

"Olivia… be home for midnight." He said before turning on his heels.

"Dad!" She hurried out onto the hallway. "A curfew?"

"Yeah Olivia a curfew." He replied with a small nod of the head.

"Dad I'm nearly twenty five years old…"

"I know, but under my roof you'll live by my rules." Don told her firmly having George's voice echoing inside his head.

"Ok." Olivia nodded. "Fine so… so what if I am not home by midnight…?"

Don blinked, he hadn't quite thought up of a punishment for her breaking curfew.

"I'll…" He was hesitant but he had to be firm, George had told him to be strict and firm. "I'll take the keys to the basement from you for the week."

Olivia just stared, she felt like she was fifteen again.

"Fine." She shrugged before walking back into her room, she didn't believe he'd carry out on the threat.

* * *

The meal was going well, they laughed and joked and Elliot asked her about a weekend camping trip he was taking Maureen on and if she would like to join them. Over dessert Olivia decided she would tell Elliot about her father's behaviour.

"My Dad gave me a curfew." She said as she dug her fork into the large chocolate fudge cake she'd ordered.

"Excuse me?" Elliot asked in shock.

"My, Dad, gave, me, a, curfew," she said punctuating each word.

"And you're how old again?" Elliot asked and Olivia chuckled softly.

"I think he's … I don't know but he's treating me like a teenager." Olivia replied.

"What time do you have to be home by?" Elliot continued as Olivia continued to enjoy her dessert.

"Midnight." Olivia replied.

"Plenty of time to go for a walk before I get you home." He said teasingly.

"You really think I'm going to listen to my Dad?" Olivia asked her eyebrow cocked making Elliot laugh softly. "I'm twenty five years old, I have my own apartment, if I want to stay out till three am I will do."

"Olivia…"

"El! I love my Dad and I love living with him even though it's really weird for me to be living at home but anyway my point is that… I don't know I think he's trying to be a Dad in the form he thinks a Dad should be, strict, rules, all that jazz and so I will let him set the rules, I won't argue with him about them but I won't keep to the ones I believe is unreasonable and given that I turn twenty five in two weeks' time I am not going to give him the satisfaction of keeping to those rules." She explained and Elliot smiled at her, she definitely had a mischievous side to her.

* * *

It was nearly one am when Olivia and Elliot arrived back at Don's house. The cab stopped and Olivia looked at the man who'd stolen her heart over a year ago.

"You going to come in?" Olivia asked.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea." Elliot chuckled.

"Why not?" Olivia replied clearly hurt.

"You're an hour late home Olivia and something tells me your Dad wouldn't like to wake up in the morning to find me there.

"I'm a grown woman Elliot, and I have a lock on my bedroom door…" She added with a cheeky smile on her face.

"Sure, why not." Elliot smiled before paying the cab fare.

They walked to the door hand in hand and Olivia kissed Elliot at the door. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back.

She moaned into his mouth and as they kissed she managed to get her key into the door, she twisted it and they stumbled into the house.

"Shh." She managed to mumble before she kicked the door shut with a bang.

The kiss didn't break even as they headed for the stairs and Elliot scooped Olivia into his arms and carried her as best he could.

They didn't make it to the top of the stairs before a cough brought them crashing down to reality.

"Dad!" Olivia gasped as she held tightly around Elliot's neck.

"Olivia." He said dryly. "Elliot." He added and Olivia could see he was mad.

Elliot placed Olivia down on the step just above the one he was standing on and Don glared from one guilty party to the other. Olivia looked at Elliot and then her shoes hoping that she wasn't laughing too much that he could see.

"Elliot you can take the guest room next to my room, Olivia get to bed." Don snapped.

"Dad…"

"This is not up for debate you're an hour late home and you bring … just get to bed, both of you." Don replied.

The two slipped up the stairs and awkwardly walked past Don.

"Night." Olivia said to Elliot.

"Good night." Elliot replied and he watched her walk down the hallway.

Don watched Elliot who was watching Olivia. A part of him wanted to let Elliot go and cuddle up with Olivia and hope if they did anything he wouldn't hear about it, wouldn't know about it but the problem was if she was fifteen or sixteen years old he'd never allow it.

"You can sleep in that room." Don said pointing to the door right beside his own and Elliot just nodded.

"Goodnight sir." Elliot said politely.

Don said nothing in reply and slipped into his own bedroom and shut the door tight.

Olivia changed into her flannel pyjama bottoms and white tank top automatically as she thought about how her father was being unreasonable. She was going to be twenty five years old soon and yes her mother had been strict but the truth was in comparison to the way Don was being right now she'd gotten away with a heck of a lot, she'd lost her virginity at sixteen, was engaged before she was seventeen and then she'd gone to college and broken all ties with her mother for a long time.

After lying in her bed for an hour unsuccessfully trying to sleep she crept out of her bed. She slipped out of her bedroom being aware of every tiny creak. She glanced at the two occupied rooms. Her father's was in darkness, that was obvious from the crack beneath the door but Elliot's room was lit dimly. She snuck as carefully and as quietly as she could passed the door of Don's room and then opened Elliot's door.

Elliot saw the door open and put down the book he'd found on the bedside table. When Olivia snuck around the door he couldn't help but smile. She pressed her finger to her lips and then slowly pushed her way around the door and shut the door as quietly as possible, her face reflecting the anxiety she was feeling as she hoped she wouldn't disturb Don.

Once the door clicked shut she walked calmly over to the bed and climbed in the other side. Elliot just smiled and as soon as she was lying down he pulled her close into his chest.

"I love you." He whispered into her ear before kissing her cheek.

"I love you too." Olivia replied her voice just breaking through the whisper. "Now shut the light off and let's get some sleep." She added.

Elliot reached over her head and clicked off the small light before settling down as close as he possibly could to her. She could feel his heart beating against her back and she sighed contentedly.


	13. Chapter 13

**Olivia Benson is just a rookie. She's been at SVU a year and is in a steady yet secret relationship with her hot partner. Her whole world is turned upside down when news on her one year anniversary shakes her up. Does she accept it or does she fight it and what does she do when she realises she's getting everything she ever prayed for?**

**AU EO**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own. I also do not own any rights to the story Charlotte's web which appears in this story! **

The next morning Don made the usual coffee plus one for Elliot but he wasn't going to take Elliot's up to him like he did Olivia's. He crept up the stairs hoping he would get two more minutes with Olivia alone.

"Liv." He said quietly knocking on her bedroom door, and then as usual he opened the door quietly.

It was routine now. He'd knock quietly, say her name and open the door before going inside where she hadn't woken up unless he was awake before he knocked and he would stroke her hair until she woke up slowly with a small smile on her face.

When he opened the door and found a bed that obviously hadn't been slept in he was furious. He put the coffee down on the dresser and then walked to the guest room beside his own room. He barged in making them both jump awake.

"Good you're up!" He snapped. "Olivia your coffee is in your room Elliot yours is downstairs oh and Liv we'll talk about this later." He marched out the room and Olivia groaned as she fell against Elliot's bare chest.

"Baby we should move your Dad sounds pretty pissed." He said as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm not fifteen." Olivia chuckled as she relaxed into him.

"No but Don thinks you are." Elliot chuckled before kissing the top of your head.

"Yeah. Maybe I should go see Huang and ask him for some advice." Olivia sighed.

"Might be an idea…"

"Olivia Cragen get out of bed right now!" Don yelled up the stairs.

"We should move." Olivia sighed climbing out of bed.

She went to get her coffee from her bedroom and walked down stairs still in her pyjamas. She could hear Don pottering around in the kitchen and it was obvious he was pissed, he was always fidgety when he was pissed.

"Daddy…"

"Don't you dare Olivia." Don snapped and Olivia jumped a little.

"I'm sorry Daddy." She whispered in such a childlike manner it broke Don's heart but he knew that he had to be strong.

"I told you to be in by midnight Olivia and it's over an hour late you turn up and then I send you to your room and Elliot to a separate room and as soon as I have my back turned you sneak to his room."

"I'm nearly twenty five years old Dad! I'm no virgin …"

"Right that I didn't need to know Olivia! I'd like to believe you're a virgin until you come and tell me your pregnant…"

"Daddy!" She snapped.

"It's true Olivia and I'm giving you rules, boundaries that you're going to push against and are going to disobey me but I am your father dammit and I have every right to expect for you to be respectful and stick to my rules!" Don spat right back not seeing Elliot stood behind Olivia.

"You're being unreasonable and unfair!" Olivia yelled before turning on her head and crashed into Elliot sending her lukewarm coffee across them both.

"Shit I'm sorry."

"No it was my fault I'm so sorry." Elliot replied as Don threw a cloth to him and turned away when he saw Elliot wipe Olivia's chest first.

"I'm… I'm gonna… gonna go shower." Olivia stuttered as she stopped Elliot from cleaning her up.

"Ok." Elliot replied just as much of a bumbling mess.

"Ok." Olivia replied looking into his ocean blue eyes.

"Oh give me a break Olivia go shower!" Don snapped making the two jump and quickly Olivia rushed off up the stairs her loud banging footsteps proof that she was running.

* * *

At the office Don wasn't hiding how much he was in a bad mood. Every time he was in and out of the office the door slammed making the Detectives jump and making Olivia and Elliot glance at each other then blush.

"Stabler! Tutuola! DB on Broadway. ME waiting go." He said not even looking at Elliot and handing the paper to Fin.

"Oh so Stabler pissed off the Captain." Munch stated as soon as he and Fin had exited.

"Oh shut up Munch I'm the one who pissed off the Captain ok? Actually no, I pissed off my Dad and now Captain Cragen hasn't figured how to leave his daughter issues at home." Olivia snapped jumping to her feet. "No I'm going to see a shrink before I murder my father while he's sleeping!" She snapped looking at Cragen as he reappeared from the office.

She glared at him before she walked away and he could only sigh and hope that she was going to get her act together and grow up before he would have to reprimand her in her job which would cause them a lot of friction at home.

* * *

"Come in." George called from the comfort of his Federal Plaza office.

Olivia opened the door and gave him a weak smile and he raised his eyebrows, he would have easily admitted that this was a surprise.

"Hey Olivia." He smiled as she slipped into a seat in front of his desk.

"Hey. Uh I need your help." Olivia said awkwardly and George just raised an eyebrow again.

"Go on." He told her.

"Whatever I say now, you can't tell Cragen right?"

"You mean your Dad?" He asked and she nodded in reply. "No confidentiality applies you came to see me on your own." George replied.

"Ok." Olivia nodded.

"So what's the problem?" George asked.

"My Dad." Olivia replied. "He's… I don't know forgetting that I'm not far off twenty five years old and treating me like I'm sixteen just like I'd just got my driver's license and not old enough to have sex not even share my bed with another man and …"

"And you don't know what to do about it anymore." George replied.

"No I don't. He gave me a curfew George! I haven't had a curfew… ever. My Mom was a falling down drunk she didn't notice if I was there or not when I was sixteen I was sleeping over at friend's house without telling her. I don't know how to deal with a parent that's that over protective." Olivia explained with a desperation to her voice that George had never heard before.

"So you think it's your fault you can't deal with your Dad?"

"What? No!" Olivia replied. "What makes you think that?"

"You said 'I don't know to deal with a parent that's that over protective.' I mean, do you see you as the issue or Don?"

"What? I don't know George you tell me, you're the shrink." Olivia snapped, she was still pissed from that morning.

"Why don't you talk me through what happened? What led you to come and see me?" He said pulling out his notebook.

"Ok." Olivia nodded and took a deep breath. "Last night I had a date." Olivia stated remembering not to say anything to George about Elliot not knowing Don had already mentioned it. "With my boyfriend of eight months." She added.

"Ok." George nodded.

"Before I left he gave me a curfew." Olivia stated and George managed to hide all emotion from his face as Olivia scanned it looking for something. "It was for midnight and I didn't get back till just past one and he heard me stumble in with my date and caught us at the top of the stairs."

"Then what happened?" George asked.

"He sent me to bed and sent my date to the bedroom beside his room and then after trying to get to sleep I snuck into his room and this morning that's how my Dad found us." Olivia explained with a slight rose blush rising on her cheeks.

"Did you do … did you do anything he might have heard during the night?" Huang asked.

"No!" She replied firmly. "No we just slept in the same bed, I don't think I could have sex with my Dad in the house, I mean I have my own apartment George, which is fully furnished, if I wanted to have sex I'd go there, I would never…"

"You had sex in the pool."

"He told you?" Olivia snapped.

"He may have mentioned it." George replied being very careful.

"So you know who I was talking about." Olivia sighed and rubbed her forehead.

"I do." He nodded.

"Ok." Olivia nodded. "Ok so uh, what now?" Olivia asked hopeful.

"The only thing I can really think about is relationship counselling."

"You mean like couples therapy?" Olivia asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"Exactly like couples therapy, except in this case the couple is father and daughter not husband and wife." George replied with a smile. "I'd be more than happy and willing to do it for you."

"I… I mean I guess I would but I don't know about my Dad."

"Oh he will." George smiled.

"He's already been to see you hasn't he?" Olivia asked thought she already knew the answer.

"He might have." George smirked which was a straight give away.

"I should have known." Olivia chuckled and shook her head. "Fin if he'll do it so will I because I am so close to moving back into my apartment full time and I know that's going to cause some arguments and I just am worried I guess that I'll lose him you know?"

"I get it, I'll set up a session for later this week and then we'll see how it goes." George smiled flicking open his work schedule.

* * *

On the way from George's office Olivia sent a text message to Elliot asking him to meet her at her apartment. There were a few belongings that she hadn't packed and taken to Don's including all her sexy lingerie.

Once in the apartment she ran to the bedroom and slipped on a matching red lace thong panties and brassiere and lit a few candles around the bedroom.

"Liv?" She heard coming from the door of the apartment.

"Bedroom!" She called jumping onto the bed and lying back in a sexy pose.

"Olivia?" He asked as he began to poke his head around the door.

When his eyes fell on her a smile spread on both of their faces.

"Liv." He smiled coming into the room and instantly unbuttoning his jacket.

"I thought I really needed to make it up to you for last night." She said seduction dripping from every syllable.

"You didn't." He said as she went onto her knees on the bed and reached for his tie. "But I'm so glad you did." He chuckled softly.

"Good." She smiled her eyes leaving the buttons she was working up and looking up at him.

He could see that her eyes were near black with desire, she could see that his were as dark as the midnight sky too. As she unbuttoned his shirt he let his hands roam over her partially covered body. He left goose pimples in the wake of his fingers and it took a lot of effort on Olivia's behalf not to give in to the desire and forget to unclothe Elliot.

As she pushed back his shirt from his shoulders he found that he couldn't wait much longer. He crashed his lips to hers, his own hands finding the belt on his trousers as her nails scratched into his muscular chest causing him to gasp in a mixture of pure pleasure and pain.

"Olivia." He moaned pushing her back gently onto the bed.

She smiled at him as he crept over her still in his boxer shorts but other than that he was undressed.

"El." She whispered as his hands squeezed her breasts and teased at her nipples his lips never leaving hers.

She stroked her hands up and down his arms, chest and back as his kiss became more vicious. He found the front clasp of her bra and undid it to reveal her perfect olive mounds.

His kiss left her lips and slowly worked its way down from her jaw bone, and then her neck and then her chest before finally his lips curled around one of her nipples. She moaned as he sucked and bit at her, causing her to feel a burn in the pit of her stomach and an aching need between her legs.

Within minutes but after what felt like a lifetime Elliot's kiss left her breath and worked its way down her stomach making her giggle with each kiss which he knew would happen.

"EL!" She moaned and giggled simultaneously and he knew what it meant, he knew she didn't want to wait anymore.

He leaned over her and kissed her again and her hands tugged at his boxers.

"Someone's impatient." He chuckled.

"Some of us are going to be getting a phone call asking why we're still on an hour's lunch break two hours later and it's not even one yet." She chuckled as he reached down and took off her panties.

Her legs opened and bent automatically and he used his thumb just checking but already knowing she was dripping and ready for him. She moaned and her back arched and he smiled a typical Stabler shit eating grin. He leant over her again and latched his mouth onto hers as he guided his shaft to her entrance and in one easy push he entered her.

* * *

Olivia lay in Elliot's arms both of them glowing and laying naked above the sheets. Neither one wanted to move but when Olivia and Elliot's phones rang at the same time they both had to reach over to find them and snap them open.

"Cragen."

"Stabler."

"Both of you get back here right now!"

Olivia looked at Elliot and Elliot looked at Olivia.

"Dad?" She asked.

"I don't want to know where you are or what you've been doing just get back here, right now, Olivia stop looking at Elliot like that…"

"Ok Dad you're really freaking me out." Olivia said her eyes still glued on Elliot's.

"I don't need to know where you are or what you've been doing to know you and Elliot are in the same place which is not your desks where you should be and I called you from my cell and him from the office phone and when you answered first and him after I heard him saying his name through both phones." Cragen explained. "Now get back to the office before I have to write the two of you up for fraternizing during office hours."

He hung up on them and Olivia and Elliot just looked at each other.

"We should uh…"

"Yeah." Elliot nodded and they both reached for their clothes, Elliot picking his up off the floor Olivia grabbing some from the closet not thinking how everyone would know she'd been home for a change of clothes and not realising Don would see it was an outfit she definitely hadn't worn since she'd been living with him.


End file.
